A New Dawn
by Strunvokunrii
Summary: After The Great Thaw life begins to revert back to a new sense of normal. Elsa has taken up her duties as queen and Anna the excitable sibling happy to have her sister back. But in desperation to stop herself from being tossed into an arranged marriage certain secrets come out as well as certain attempts to take the throne. - M for incest/language/gore in later chapters. g!p
1. Chapter One

*Authors Note* I do not own Disney or any character of! Wish...but...yeah...no.

Sorry for the re-post, I made some corrections to my first three chapters but, hey, I also posted chapters four and five. Life has gotten in the way and sucked up inspiration so I'm finally trying to get back on track now that I have a more regular work schedule! I hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter One**

"Elsa?" a soft voice came from behind the Queen of Arendelle as she watched the fluttering sails of the Southern Isle's ship vanish from sight. She stood and watched it leave from the time the anchor was pulled from the depths of the fjord. She had to make sure that Hans and his treachery were finally gone.

"Elsa?" the soft voice said more firmly as a tender hand rested upon the Queen's shoulder. Elsa flinched, a sharp intake of breath sounded before slowly being released. She turned her icy blue eyes to meet with a pair of teal ones that stared worriedly at her.

"Hello, Anna." Elsa relaxed and spoke tenderly while a small smile graced her lips. "I thought you would be with Kristoff, inducting him into his new title." She held mild surprise in her voice, expecting whole-heartedly that the young princess would be with her new friend. So far, what she had seen and heard of Kristoff, she liked. _'If Anna chooses to marry him when the time comes, then I think I will give them my blessing,' _she found herself thinking. A twinge of sadness pricked the back of her mind but she quickly shed the feeling as Anna spoke.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay first," Anna admitted while she moved in to wrap her arms around her elder sister's neck in a hug. Elsa stiffened, feeling Anna's arms slip around her and she almost pushed her away. Biting her lower lip, she pushed herself to embrace her sister in return. She couldn't help these stiff reactions and hesitations. She had been alone for so long, locked away from people, that this physical contact was new and intimidating.

"I'm alright. I just wanted to be sure he was gone for good," she spoke as she pulled from her sister's embrace and glanced back to the open waters to which the fjord led out. Satisfied with the disappearance of the ship she turned her attention back to her sister, the smile gracing her lips once again.

Anna nodded gently with a small smile. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean..." her voice trailed off and she looked to the ground quietly. She was unsure of whether or not to bring up the moments they had both endured with it being so fresh on their minds already. It was a moment she, herself, wanted to forget and never again dwell upon.

"Anna," Elsa spoke softly and caused her sister to look up at her and meet her own surprisingly warm gaze. "I'm alright," she repeated. "I assure you," she added and looked up to the castle that towered over the rest of Arendelle. "Our home and our people are free from Hans's influence. You especially." She looked to Anna once more. "He'll never hurt you again." She started to walk towards the castle, Anna quickly following in her wake.

"Or you, Elsa. I mean," she hesitated for a moment while absentmindedly winding a braid around her index finger. "He did just try to kill you." Her pace quickened so that she was now walking beside Elsa. Anna glanced at Elsa's face, trying to read her expression which, to her disappointment, was expressionless. The silence her sister held began to bother her and she stopped, catching Elsa's hand in her own. Another flinch came across Elsa's delicate features as she felt Anna's fingers enclose around her slender wrist. A sigh escaped the elder sister and she, too, halted and turned to look at Anna. "Elsa, please, talk to me. You're worrying me," she mumbled quietly.

Elsa's eyes fell to her wrist which was caught in Anna's left hand. Memories flooded her mind, taking her back to the Coronation Ceremony where the very same hand tore the glove from her and all of the chaos that had ensued after. Her fingers twitched uncomfortably and clenched into a fist. "Anna," she spoke in a whisper. "Don't worry about me. I'm perfectly fine." She eased her hand from Anna's grasp and interlinked her own fingers together, ringing her hands in a self-soothing gesture. She tried to allow a smile to ease on her features to at least comfort Anna.

"I can't help it, Elsa. You've been through so much I just can't not worry about you." She sighed in frustration. "But I guess I can't force it out of you either." Her eyes dropped back down to her feet which shuffled glumly in the dirt.

Elsa withheld a sigh, watching her sister's sad display. "Anna, I'm going to be okay. Please don't worry about me. Go see Kristoff and give him his gift and his new title." She spoke calmly as Anna raised her gaze back to her sister's. "You don't want him to think his help went unappreciated, do you?"

"No. No, I suppose not," she muttered gently, slowly letting the shadow of a smile twitch upon her lips. "He and Sven will be very happy with their new sleigh." The smile became full blown suddenly. "See you at dinner!" She broke away from Elsa, making her way excitedly to find Kristoff.

Elsa watched her sister disappear and she sighed, grasping her upper arm with her left hand and caressed it absentmindedly. She knew Anna meant well, really she did, but she didn't want to burden her with her fears and thoughts. She followed the path her sister had just taken and went within the castle's boundaries, nodding to the guards whom stood on either side of the great doors before continuing up the cobble path to the castle doors. A guard nodded to her and opened the door for her.

"Your Majesty." He spoke respectfully as she passed, bowing to her.

Elsa took a deep breath, walking through and into the foyer of the castle. She was back and this time she would not run away. She walked up the stairs leading in to the next floor, heading for her bed chamber. She rested her hand upon the silver door handle and allowed a sigh to pass her lips.

Elsa's eyes shifted to the door on her right that led into Anna's room just down the hall. She smiled, letting her mind wander to the past when she and Anna shared that bedroom. It had been thirteen years but the memory still warmed her. '_Life was great until _The Incident_,_' she thought. This brought Elsa back to the night she was shut away into another bedroom and away from her sister.

Elsa sighed and turned the handle gently and slipped inside of her bedroom. She shut the door behind her and crossed to her bed where she rested upon the silken sheets. She was exhausted and knew that it would be better to rest now before dinner than try and rest over the week. She had much to catch up on and her duties as Queen of Arendelle would begin tomorrow.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna had wandered the castle grounds to the stables where she knew Kristoff would be with Sven. Sure enough, there he was passing a carrot back and forth between the reindeer and himself. When he saw Anna approaching he stood, Sven snatching the rest of the carrot from his slackened grip.

"Kristoff!" She smiled, running towards him only to throw herself upon him in a hug. "Thanks again for everything you've done these past few days," she said gently, looking up at him.

Kristoff's face turned slightly red and he returned the hug, smiling. "Heh, no problem." He chuckled a bit and grinned stupidly at Anna. Suddenly her hand grabbed a hold of his and she gave a quick tug causing him to stumble but resist.

"Come on!" She tugged again trying to get Kristoff to follow. The second tug got him moving as he allowed the young princess to lead him through the courtyard and back out into the city. She took him down to the town's center and immediately slipped behind him and covered his eyes.

"What is it, Anna?" He asked, bewildered at her uncaged excitement and the sudden blackout as her hands remained clasped over his eyes.

"I, Anna, Princess of Arendelle with the help of Queen Elsa, hereby appoint you to-" she exclaimed, un-shielding his eyes, "Ice Master and Deliverer!" She grinned from ear to ear as a new model sleigh was revealed to the stunned mountain man. A medal baring an almost platinum snowflake in a steely silver backing was draped around a crimson bow topping the sled. The sled itself was a navy blue adorned with icy blues and whites. A snow flake was emblazoned on the very front of the sleigh. "It even has cup holders!" She giggled excitedly. "Do you like it?" She looked at her friend who still hadn't said or done anything but gawk at the gift. "Kristoff?" she asked, her smile faltering. Quickly Kristoff shook his head, bringing himself back to reality.

"It's fantastic, Anna!" He beamed brightly as he embraced her tightly. "Thank you so much but I can't accept this." He broke off the hug only to meet an aggressively shaking head.

"No returns by order of the Queen." She giggled girlishly and stretched. "You deserve it after everything you and Sven did for us. Besides, I owed you a sled after that hike up the Northern Mountain."

"Thank you again, Anna." He couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he approached the sled, studying every detail.

"I'll leave you to your new toy." Anna smiled. "I think after these last few days a nap is well deserved." Her words earned a smile from her friend and he turned back around to look at her.

"Bye Anna! Thanks again!" He spoke as he waved. He watched Anna disappear into the bustling city towards the castle. He gave a soft sigh before going back to taking in the details of his new sleigh.

* * *

Aminda, a handmaiden that waited on Anna, came bustling down the hall. She was several years the Princess's senior. She stopped at Anna's bedroom door and knocked two, three, four times. Getting no response she opened the door and slipped inside of the bedroom to find Her Highness sleeping.

"Princess Anna," she said timidly, approaching the side of the bed. When there was not even a twitch of movement she reached out and gently tapped the Princess's arm. "Princess Anna!" She said again only to receive a low groan while the ginger turned over and pulled the covers over her head. "Magni give me strength," she whispered as she continued to gently try and coax the princess awake.

Anna groaned and blinked her eyes open slowly. "Hmn? Oh, I'm sorry Aminda. It's just that I was having such a wonderful dream." She sat up and yawned, rubbing her fists against her eyes. Unruly copper hair had escaped her twin braids and stuck to her freckled face.

"Her Majesty requests that you come down for supper. She has held it off for as long as she could to wait for you to wake up on your own." Aminda spoke softly, a relieved smile on her face for completing part one of her task. She turned away from Anna briefly as she prepared a proper dinner outfit for her princess.

Anna glanced out the large window in her room to the starry sky. She jumped out of bed and slipped quickly behind the screen. "I didn't want to sleep until dusk! She's not mad is she?" Anna's voice was laced with worry.

"No, Princess. Queen Elsa was quite good-natured about it all." Aminda joined her as she assisted Anna out of her sleeping attire and into an emerald dress with gold trimming. Once the lace in the back of her dress was done she led Anna to the vanity where she sat her down and began to fix her hair. She put it into an up-do with a crown braid that encircled her head.

"There now, Princess Anna." She smiled as her work was done. "I will run ahead and let Her Majesty know you are on your way." She curtsied and left Anna's room, shutting the door politely behind her.

After a few moments of making sure she was definitely presentable for Elsa, Anna made her way down to the dining hall where dinner was being served. The smell of the fish and red meats hit her nose and she grinned brightly. Two guards opened the double doors leading into the dining hall for her and all eyes at the long oaken table shifted to Anna. Elsa was already seated at the head of the table, the seat to her right reserved for the princess whilst the other members of the Royal Council occupied the other chairs.

The council members stood as Anna approached the table. Elsa remained seated patiently in an elegant posture. "I'm glad you could join us, Anna." Elsa said with a small smile. Anna seated herself, nine chairs echoing her own. Marine, Elsa's personal handmaiden, pushed Anna's seat in for her before hurrying off to help with serving.

"I'm sorry, Els-Queen Elsa," she corrected herself and chuckled a little. "I was just going to sleep for a couple hours but I guess I was more tired than I thought." She sighed, meeting Elsa's gaze only to see her nod in understanding.

* * *

Once dinner was over and the maids began to clean up, Elsa excused herself from the table and headed back towards her room. She heard the now familiar rush of her sister hot on her tail which caused her to slow her brisk walk so Anna could easily catch up. "Running is very un-princess like," she teased to her sister who fell into an even pace beside her.

"Since when was I ever princess-like?" She looked at Elsa with a grin. "I know I've been given many titles but I don't think 'Princess' has been the highest standing one." She stretched a little and lightly bumped her hips against Elsa who stumbled, flinging her hand out to stop herself from toppling by catching the wall. Ice shot from her outspread fingertips and coated the wall in a gleaming frost. She flinched at what she did and jerked her hand away, trying again to regain her regal composure and allowing the ice to melt with a thought. Her jaw was set in a stern manner and her eyes wouldn't look at her sister.

'_I lost control again,' _she cried out in her mind, fear flooding her once again. She did everything she could to conceal it and keep her hands from trembling as she held them at rest against her. "Touché," she responded while forcing a small smile. They walked up the stairs towards their designated bed chambers. One of Elsa's hands rested upon the banister whilst the other gripped the material of her flowing dress during their ascent. Once in their hall in front of their bedroom doors Anna looked over to her sister.

"Elsa?" she spoke gently, all tone of childish nature dropped and replaced with that of a serious young woman.

"Yes, Anna?" Elsa replied, door partially opened as she was ready to slip into her room.

"I know you promised never to shut the castle gates again but," she hesitated and looked to her door. "Do you promise never to shut me out again?" She released her own door handle and turned to look at her sister, her blue-green eyes watered ever so slightly at the thought of her sister hiding away again. She couldn't take it happening again. Every day for thirteen years she stood or sat in front of Elsa's door begging entry. In the very beginning Elsa answered her, telling her to leave her alone. After, her attempts were met only with silence.

Elsa abandoned her door and walked down the hall to her sister. "I promise, Anna. I'll never shut you out ever again. I'll always be here if you need me, until you don't want me around." She smiled with a very faint hint of sadness. She felt horrible for all those years. She, just as much as Anna, wanted to be with her sister. How she wanted to speak and play with her just as they did as young children. She always found herself thinking about those days before, wishing she could always control her powers and, therefore, would never had hurt Anna.

"There will never be a day I don't want you around, Elsa." Anna looked up at her. "After all we've been through I never want to lose you again," she smiled. "I'll be right here if you need me, too. No more fear, no more loneliness, and no more secrets. We have each other again."

Elsa smiled gently and, with a little hesitance, gave Anna a brief hug before taking a step back, clasping her hands in front of her once more. "I wouldn't have it any other way then," she admitted softly.

Anna smiled back and slipped into her room and shut the door. She stood facing her own door and her hand rested against the wood. _'I just hope she can be true to that,_' she thought, a smile creeping across her lips. Suddenly she was jarred out of her thoughts by the sound of humming behind her.

Her handmaiden was poking logs into place as a warm fire crackled to life in the grate. The summer evening had allowed the temperature to drop to a chilling degree and thought the Princess would love to have the comforting heat of a warm fire. Hearing Anna's arrival she stopped humming and turned to greet her warmly.

"Good evening again, Your Highness." She spoke very gently. "Dinner went well I hope?" She smiled, bustling over to the large frosted wardrobe and pulling a fresh sleeping gown from it.

"It was delicious as always." Anna almost skipped over to her changing screen where Aminda waited for her. As soon as she was behind the screen and still, Aminda unlaced the elegant dining dress and helped her into a creamy white, silk nightgown. Setting the dirtied dress aside, she undid the elegant up-do and allowed her locks of copper hair to hang unhindered, framing her face. She ran a brush through it to deter any tangles.

"All finished, Your Highness." She spoke with another respectful curtsey, setting Anna's brush back upon the vanity and bid Anna good night.

Anna stepped back from around the screen, absentmindedly threading her fingers through her hair and sighed. "She's quite efficient." She giggled a bit to herself as she crossed her room and sat on her bed. She lied down under the warmth of her covers and allowed the crackle of the fireplace to lull her to sleep.

Elsa, content to hear the handmaid taking care of her sister, went into her own room and shut the door behind her. She had only stood out in front of Anna's door for a moment but felt an all too familiar twist in her stomach. _'She stood in front of mine every day of her life.'_ Guilt licked her insides like fire, causing the discomforting feeling to worsen. She shook her head quickly and with a flick of her wrist her blue ice dress melted into a vapor and was replaced with a short frosty white nightgown that hugged her curvy, petit body. She slipped into bed and pulled the warm blankets up to her neck and closed her eyes.

After a few moments, Elsa's eyes flicked back open and stared up at the ceiling. Shadows were cast on her walls from the moonlight that shone into her room from the triangulated window. Realization that she was back in the same room she had been locked in since she was eight years old hit her and she glanced to the door. _'Only difference is I am free to come and go as I please,'_ she reminded herself. She sat back up in bed, the blankets falling to cover only her outstretched legs. Her pale skin was almost illuminated as it absorbed the moonbeams that filtered in onto her bed.

There wasn't much to her room she realized. Just a desk where she did most of her studies and personal book cases loaded with books that, for the most part, were so worn the covers were about to disintegrate from over-use. In the corner stood a white wardrobe with frosted glass fronts and a snow flake decorated changing screen in another corner by her personal bathroom.

Elsa felt sleep tug at her eye lids as they grew heavier. She allowed her body to lie back down on the soft bed and pulled the blankets back up to her neck and turned over. Slowly her eyes fell closed and she drifted to sleep with only the thought of change gracing the remnants of her mind.


	2. Chapter Two

*Authors Note* I do not own Disney or any character of.

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**Chapter Two**

Anna opened her eyes and was met with almost complete darkness except the flickering of shadows from the dying embers in the fireplace. She sat up and drew her knees to her chest as she allowed the dream-the memory-to replay in her head.

She could still feel the numbing sensation that spread from her chest to the tips of her fingers and toes as her body froze into solid ice. Elsa's sobs and pleas echoed hauntingly in Anna's mind, bringing tears to her eyes.

Anna shivered involuntarily, re-living her death was not something she particularly enjoyed. Especially when she could recall the force that tried to take her soul into the afterlife. _'I wasn't ready to leave! Elsa needed me and I wasn't going to leave her behind!' _ She suddenly smiled, _'I still feel the warmth that pulsed through me.'_ Her wrist rubbed against her eyes as she rid herself of her tears. "True love will thaw a frozen heart," she repeated.

She recalled the feeling of Elsa's arms around her and stood, pacing. She cared very much for Elsa and couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone. She sighed and flopped back on the bed. "I love her. Of course I do! She's my sister," she said to herself and looked out the window. She didn't know what to think or how to feel. She cared about Kristoff too but she didn't _love_ him. _'A really good friend. That's what he is,'_ she thought and stretched a little.

Elsa had awoken with a similar recall of the past few days. Tears formed in her eyes and she buried her face into her arms, knees drawn to her chest. As she cried the temperature in the room began to drop and frost began to form on the walls.

"All I've done is hurt her," she sobbed gently. "It's…it's all my fault." She lifted her head to glance to the door as she had done so many times over the years. She had never resented herself more than she did now. She actually _killed_ Anna and whether or not she was alive now mattered not. Her forehead rested on her folded arms as tears caressed her pale cheeks. Her eyes were closed tight as the memories continued to wash over her, earning renewed sobs from the young queen's lips.

_'Your sister is dead! Because of you!'_ Hans's voice echoed in the back of her mind. She could still feel the despair flare up inside of her and gnaw at her heart. The groaning of wood and stone brought her back to reality and she lifted her head. Spires of ice jutted from the thickly coated walls, stabbing towards the ceiling.

"She's not dead now!" She almost yelled in a broken tone. "Get a hold of yourself, Elsa," she told herself and began to slow her breathing. "Hans is gone. Anna is safe," she kept repeating under her breath. The room stopped groaning its protest as the ice slowly began to recede. "No one will ever bother Arendelle again. I'll make sure of that." She stood and paced restlessly as the last of the ice melted away and brought her room back to normal.

A knock on the door froze her in place and she turned to face it. _'Who would be bothering me at this hour?'_ It didn't take Elsa long to guess who it was.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice called through the elegantly crafted wood. Her voice was quiet with the intention of only being heard if Elsa was conscious. "Are you awake?"

Elsa bit her lip ever so softly as she tip-toed to the bed and sat down. She didn't want to see anyone; especially Anna whom she feared would notice she had been crying. Elsa had said she was fine to Anna too many times to be caught contradicting her own words.

Anna stood outside the door listening, trying to hear any sign of Elsa being awake. Her hand rested tenderly on the door handle wanting to just walk right in to see her. "Please don't shut me out again," she breathed. The words tugged at Elsa's heart and she found herself standing and moving to the door.

"Anna," she whispered, hand rested against the cool wood. "It's late." She tried to contain her sadness and only project the exhaustion she felt. "Please, go back to bed."

"I can't, Elsa. I keep having dreams about my freezing and…"

Elsa broke, tears streamed down her cheeks. She barely caught the sob that emitted from her throat. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she leaned against the door for support. _'She's having nightmares. I'm the center of them! How could I do such a thing to my own sister?_'

Anna stopped speaking as tears brimmed against her eyes. She had caught the brief sound of a sob being muffled from behind the door. "Elsa," she cooed through the door. "Don't cry! You didn't mean to do it!" She tried to console her sister but the door between them was making it difficult. It had always made it difficult. Anna couldn't help but remember trying to console Elsa the day of their parents' funeral. Elsa was so overcome by grief she didn't attend. Anna couldn't fathom why at the time but now she knew. "Please, I'm right out here for you, just let me in."

Elsa trembled as she backed away from the door. Her knees felt weak and so she allowed herself to collapse, albeit gracefully, on the bed. Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks, a slender hand covered her mouth to keep the sound of her crying suppressed. The jiggling of the door handle pulled her briefly from her despair and she looked to the now open door.

"Elsa, I'm here and alive," Anna spoke, shutting the door behind her. She didn't take any more steps into the room than just inside the door, back pressed against the wood. Elsa's hand dropped into her lap, fumbling with the hem of her nightgown.

"You shouldn't be here. What if I hurt you again?" Elsa avoided Anna's eyes and concentrated on the mechanical movements of her fingers. Silent tears continued to fall, her eyes shut in an attempt to stop them. She flinched at the sudden warmth of a hand on her cheek. Her whole body tensed up and frost cascaded in every radial direction from beneath her, climbing the walls and skittering across the ceiling in thousands of frozen tendrils.

The sudden coolness of ice beneath Anna's bare feet caused her to jump a little, hand jerking away from Elsa's tear streaked face. She didn't, however, evacuate the room. Instead, Anna sat down beside Elsa and clasped a hand over one of her own. She could feel Elsa tremble beside her and her body remained tense at Anna's touch. She could even feel Elsa's resistance as Anna tried to pull one of her hands into her own lap.

"Elsa, I'm not afraid of you. I don't even blame you for what happened. Please calm down." Anna cupped her hands around Elsa's left. The thumb of Anna's right hand caressed along Elsa's thumb in a soothing gesture as she spoke. "If I didn't forgive you or was afraid of you, I wouldn't be in here right now," she whispered gently, watching Elsa's face. "I'm here for you, Elsa. I will _always_ be here for you." A smile graced the princess's lips, hoping to catch one on Elsa's. She wanted nothing more than to cheer Elsa up. She had never seen her cry before and it was heartwrenching. _'I have to stay strong for her. She needs all the support she can get.'_

Elsa took a deep breath, her trembling form stilled as she met her sister's gaze. The soothing motion of Anna's hand on her own calmed her a little and she couldn't help but allow a small smile. With her free hand she dried her eyes and took another deep breath, releasing it shakily.

"I just feel so bad about it all. Everything was my fault, Anna. If it wasn't for these damnable powers we wouldn't have been separated at all. If it wasn't for my lack of control, the Coronation Ceremony wouldn't have been a complete and utter disaster. If it wasn't for me you wouldn't have had your heart frozen and wouldn't have...have…" she couldn't finish her sentence. Newly formed tears caught in those deep arctic blue eyes and she tried to fight them back. The warmth surrounding her hand ceased only to travel around her shoulders and sides. Anna was now hugging her tight and, despite the first push from Elsa, would not let go. Elsa's heart throbbed in her chest, panicking at the closeness of her sister and wanted so badly to put a wall of ice between them but, at the same time, longed for it to continue.

"Elsa, I love you." Anna whispered it in her ear, clinging tightly to her elder sister. Her torso kept Elsa's left arm pinned to her side, the other clearly trembling as it clenched the ice fabric of her night attire. "I mean it!" She pulled back just slightly so her left hand could catch Elsa's chin and force the queen to meet her gaze. "You promised never to shut me out again. No more fear!" She searched her sister's face for any hint of calmness.

"I can't do this, Anna. What if it happens again? I don't think I could take hurting you again." Elsa sighed, mustering enough strength to break free of Anna and began pacing the length of her room quietly. She felt Anna's eyes on her the entire time she lapped back and forth.

"Elsa," she whimpered sadly trying to contain any sign of wanting to cry. "Shutting me out _will_ hurt me. I can't live like that anymore! Just knowing I have a sister but never ever seeing her, it's maddening!" She stood up and walked to Elsa. "I _know_ you're scared. I know you mean well. But shutting me out isn't the answer. It wasn't then and it isn't now. You won't hurt me, Elsa. And no, I won't leave you be so don't even try that again. I'd hate to disobey a direct order from the Queen."

Elsa couldn't help but scoff at her words. She stopped and turned to look at Anna. The determination and love in Anna's eyes made her force a small smile. "You just won't give up will you?" She spoke hoarsely, relief laced with sorrow in her tone.

"Nope! Never in a million years." Anna hugged Elsa quickly, chin rested on her shoulder. "I need you, Elsa. I need your company. Besides, I like your powers. That's what makes you special," she whispered, warm tears rolled down her cheeks. For the first time Elsa didn't tense at the hug. Her reaction, however, still lagged as she slowly moved to embrace Anna back. Her own chin rested on Anna's shoulder as she felt the wetness of tears press into her neck.

"I'm sorry I put you through all this. I wish I could take it all back and start over." Elsa closed her eyes and let Anna's warmth wash over her. Neither girls noticed the sun beginning to spill into the room as the day approached and chased away the night. The ice that coated the floors and the walls slowly melted away with the warmth of their embrace.

"Everything happens for a reason. We need to accept the past and overcome it," Anna said with a small, watery smile. Exhaustion began to catch up with the young princess as a yawn escaped her. Elsa gently pulled away from Anna and studied her tired features.

"You should get back to your room and sleep." The smile remained on Elsa's lips but the concern for Anna's well-being was still there. Anna nodded in agreement but didn't make any movement to follow through. "Anna?" Elsa asked, concern taking over the calmness in her tone.

"Can I-err-sleep in here?" Anna wouldn't look up at her, feeling rather ashamed for even bringing up the idea. "I just really don't want to be alone right now. Every time I shut my eyes I go back to…" she didn't finish, afraid of hurting Elsa again.

"To when you froze," Elsa finished for her and watched Anna nod solemnly. "I," her voice trailed as she thought and then slowly finished, "don't see why not." Anna smiled and quickly climbed into Elsa's bed under the warmth of her blankets. Elsa watched her with a small smile before slipping under the covers beside her, facing her younger sister. "Do you want to talk about it?" Elsa's words held a slightly timid note.

"There's nothing really to discuss," Anna admitted. "I just really need you by my side. I was so afraid of leaving you that…that I just need your comfort right now." Anna blushed a little with shame. "I bet you think I'm rather baby-ish."

Elsa shook her head gently. "No, you're not being a baby. I understand and I'm happy to know that I can bring that closure for you right now. Everything…everything is going to be okay." She said this not only to convince Anna, but to try and convince herself. Anna nodded gently and smiled, lying her head back down. "Goodnight, Anna," Elsa whispered softly and closed her eyes.

"'Night, Elsa," Anna replied, closing her eyes as well. Slowly they began to drift into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

7 a.m. came around and there was a light knock on the door. With no response, Marine slipped inside and started her approach to the bed. "Oh," she breathed, frozen where she stood. A blush graced her cheeks seeing the Queen and the Princess asleep together. _'Queen Elsa must not have slept well last night. Usually she's already getting up,'_ she thought. Slowly she backed up to the door and slipped out, letting Elsa and Anna sleep. Once the door was securely shut behind her she started down the hall. "Well, at least we know where Princess Anna is now. Aminda was worried to death," she said with a chuckle. _'Glad she didn't run for the guards. I told her she was probably either with the Queen or out in the gardens_ _with that excitable little snowman.'_

Elsa's eyes flickered open groggily a few hours later. The clock on the wall told her it was well beyond time to be up and about. Slowly her mind registered the odd weight that was draped over her stomach and against her chest. She craned her head awkwardly to find that Anna's head was rested on top of her with one of her freckled arms draped across her midriff. A blush painted her cheeks ever so slightly as she tried to pull her arm gently out from under Anna. She was caught between wanting to get up and wanting to let her baby sister sleep.

Finally, she managed to dislodge her numbing arm only to find nowhere to settle it comfortably. She nibbled her lower lip lightly before opting to just fold her arms behind her head. Her eyes fluttered closed as she waited patiently for Anna to wake up on her own.

Another fifteen minutes passed and Elsa grew impatient with Anna's continued sleep. Removing her left hand from behind her head she pulled Anna's unruly copper hair from her face. "Anna?" She spoke in a gentle tone to ease her from sleep. She received an incoherent groan and the tightening of Anna's grip around her torso. Elsa's blush regained dominance over her pallor. "Anna, I need to get up."

"Mn," Anna groaned. "Five mer mints," she babbled. Her eyes remained closed and her position never wavered. Elsa shook Anna, hand rested now on her sister's side.

"Don't make me snow you out of bed," she threatened playfully. Anna huffed and slowly the hand draped over Elsa pushed down into the mattress and she sat herself up. Her eyes met Elsa's as they rose to sit up simultaneously. Their faces were quite close to one another, only a gap wide enough to fit a fist between the tips of their noses. Anna gasped audibly and giggled.

"You have freckles!" She smiled brightly at her sister, tucking a strand of unruly hair behind her ear. "You can't see them unless you're really, really close!" Elsa blushed a bit but couldn't help but smile. "They make you look so beautiful! Not that you weren't beautiful before! I mean you were gorgeous before and now-" Elsa burst into gentle laughter that interrupted Anna's rambling completely. Anna grinned even bigger than before as she listened to Elsa's ringing joy. She never wanted it to end.

"Thank you, Anna." Elsa finally managed after her fit of giggles ended. She studied the younger's eyes happily. _'I could get used to this,'_ Elsa thought. They stared into each other's eyes, content with the happiness that shown in Elsa's deep blue and Anna's indecisive blue-green ones. Neither seemed to notice their faces getting nearer and that Anna's arm was still over Elsa's thighs and keeping her from being able to stand.

_Knock, knock, knock._

The sharp rap on the door was enough to break the spell that engrossed the sisters. "Your Majesty, Lord Alystor of the Royal Council requests that you come down to begin your duties." The voice of an older handmaiden spoke through the door. "Marine will be in shortly to prepare your bath."

"Yes Gerda, thank you. Offer them my apologies and tell them I will join them shortly." Elsa spoke as her legs swung over the edge of the bed. Anna was already up and straightening out her nightgown, a blush on her sun-kissed cheeks.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Gerda spoke. The sound of her footfalls softened and was soon unheard completely. Anna took the silence outside as a chance to leave Elsa's room, stopping at the door before opening it.

"I'll see you at lunch?" Anna's eyes looked hopeful at Elsa whom nodded with a smile. "Great!" With that, Anna opened the door and slipped into the hall, heading to her own room.

* * *

Elsa sat in the throne room listening to the bickering amongst her Royal Council. There was heavy debate on Elsa's decision to forgo trade with Weselton. Most of the council, including Lord Alystor, agreed with her judgment that Weselton only added fuel to the metaphoric fire that engulfed the Coronation Party, but the others were fearful about the decision.

Lord Mathis, in charge of the kingdom's trade and finances, had continued to argue his point while Elsa's attention wandered. She was remembering the two assassins that burst in on her at the Ice Palace and how she almost killed them until Hans stopped her. She didn't notice the arms of her throne beginning to shimmer with frost until another councilor, Percy, cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?" Percy's voice was kind and laced with concern as he spoke. No one else on the council was completely comfortable with Elsa's abilities yet. The fear was evident on the other eight men's faces. This quickly restored Elsa's attention and the frost melted away.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine." She allowed a smile to disrupt the regal calm. "Thank you for your concern. Now, I know a few of you wish to regain our trade agreements with the Duke of Weselton; Lord Mathis has made that quite clear. I know you fear that cutting off will bare trouble with our own economy." She was met with an enthusiastic nod from Lord Mathis. "I hold my ground on this matter. We do not need to rely on such a man and his country after the way he insulted and attempted to kill me as well as the way he tried to turn my country against me. We will not succumb to his treachery." Her words bid finality on the matter.

"Yes, Your Majesty," rang the voices of men in unison. Lord Mathis' voice was the bitterest of them all. He looked across the table to Lord Magrif who immediately locked eyes with his own and nodded ever so slightly. Neither agreed with the Queen's decision and thought it to be foolish. At the same time, however, they weren't foolish enough to press the matter further when the Queen dismissed the topic.

"Your Majesty," began Admiral Hampton in a clear, deep tone. Elsa turned her attention to him quietly, gesturing for him to continue. "I thought I'd update you on the repairs to our ships that were docked in the fjord during the Eternal Winter." He could see the young Queen grimace ever so slightly at being reminded of the destruction she caused. "Repairs are going quite well and faster than we thought they would. We should have the missing ships to our fleet back in a month or so. Also, I have been able to recruit many more men to our navy."

"That is fantastic news." Elsa sat a little straighter, if possible, and smiled. She was glad her destruction was easy to fix but it pained her to think that she caused the chaos in the first place. She was determined not to let them see the regret or any other sign of weakness however. The shifting of papers and scrolls filled the air as the next topics were sorted to be discussed.

The constant ticking of the clock in the gallery was comforting to Anna's ears. She lay in the least lady-like posture she could while staring up at the painting of Joan. _'Elsa should be getting out of those meetings soon, I hope.'_ She had fidgeted there for the last hour waiting, thinking about the night before and the way they woke this morning. A shiver traveled down her spine and she smiled a little wider with a blush tinting her cheeks. "So beautiful," she whispered softly.

"What's beautiful?" Elsa's voice came from just a few feet away. Anna yelped and fell off the couch, landing hard on the floor.

"_Oof!"_ She grunted on impact, lying there for a few minutes trying to regain her ability to breathe.

"Are you alright?" Elsa tried her best not to laugh as she knelt down beside Anna. She carefully wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders to sit her up. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm rather surprised I did seeing how I was talking to you this entire time."

"You…you were?" Anna asked in surprise. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I…I must have been off in another world." She flinched a little, rubbing her back. "Ow. Remind me never to fall off the couch like that again," she said with a giggle. Elsa stood, offering Anna a hand. She obliged and was soon back on her feet. "How was your first meeting?"

"It went well and was as exciting as any other meeting will be." Elsa smiled and looked at the clock. _'I was in that meeting for almost six hours,' _she thought grimly. "But anyway, what's beautiful?" She returned her gaze to her sister who immediately turned bright red.

"Uh, wh-what?" She stammered, her face shaming her ginger hair in color. "Oh! When you-yeah! It's nothing. Just thought the…" her eyes shifted around as inconspicuously as possible to find something to convince Elsa, "new tapestry was beautiful!" She nodded over to a very intricately designed tapestry that hung to the left of the gallery window. Elsa looked to it and smiled a little.

"It is quite beautiful. But if I remember right, it's not new." Elsa looked back to her sister and gave her a small smile before turning to walk away. Anna followed her in an embarrassed silence.

The dinner gong sounded, echoing through the halls issuing a smile from Elsa. Anna looked at her and giggled lightly. "I bet you're happy to be able to sit down and eat properly. Marine said that you were taking lunch with the council in the throne room."

"I would have rather dined with you in the comfort of the Dining Hall but I couldn't get away." Elsa smiled and nodded to two guards who opened the doors for the sisters. They were quickly ensnared in the delicious aromas of their dinner.

* * *

Anna rested in bed quietly, studying the shadows that played on her ceiling from the moonlight. Her thoughts wandered back to Elsa almost immediately after she dismissed them. The clock on her wall chimed and she closed her eyes, groaning softly in anger from not being able to fall asleep. _'It has to be 3 o' clock. Why can't I sleep?'_

Anna sat up and ran her hand through her hair with a sigh. Her eyes closed and she let the thoughts assault her mind. She had given up on pushing them away in hopes that the acceptance would allow her to sleep. She thought about what Grandpabbie said when her heart was frozen.

'_Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart,'_ she thought. _'Of course I love Elsa. I've been through this already.'_ She got out of bed and walked over to the window and looked out over Arendelle quietly. _'I sacrificed myself to save her. I didn't care if I died as long as she would live.'_ She pressed her forehead against the glass gently and breathed out, fogging the pane briefly.

Anna smiled a little as she thought about Elsa and recalled the contradicting warmth her embrace brought her. She closed her eyes, letting the coolness of the glass comfort her much like Elsa's cool touch. After a few minutes her eyes opened and she stood up straight, turning to look at the door.

'_She shut me out every day for thirteen years. I only saw her at meal times and even then she wouldn't really speak to me.'_ Anna crossed back over to her bed and sat down on the edge of it. Her fingers fiddled with the end of her nightgown as she thought about those days growing up. _'I still got to watch her grow up into such a beautiful and elegant woman.'_ A tingling sensation warmed her from inside and she blushed a little. _'Elsa is _so_ beautiful. Everything about her is perfect from her silky, ivory spun hair to her flawless pale skin. Oh and her eyes! You could get lost in them!'_

Carefully Anna slipped under her covers to lie on her back. She closed her eyes and let the thoughts and feelings soak in. As far as she could remember she was always fascinated by how Elsa looked. Any moment Anna knew she would be around Elsa she always tried to look her best to impress her big sister. _'Even the other day when Aminda woke me up about dinner I had to make sure my hair was presentable and my dress was perfect. I wanted to look my best for Elsa, but why? She was the reason though. I wouldn't be questioning it if my reason was to impress the council or just because of what I am, a princess.'_

She sat up quickly, rubbing her temples as the effects of a migraine began to take hold of her. The clock chimed again which added to her frustration. "How do I handle this?" she asked herself aloud. _'I think I finally understand but I just can't believe that Grandpabbie and Olaf were right. I mean they had to be right or else I'd be a frozen statue in the middle of the fjord, but still…there has to be different meanings to true love otherwise that means that I really am attracted to her.'_ The thought alone eased her insomnia and she felt exhaustion slowly begin to ease in. _'No. True love is true love. There is nothing simple about it and it doesn't have rules. Elsa was right. I didn't know what love was before. But I have an idea now and I _know_ that's how I feel towards her. If it wasn't true love it wouldn't have unthawed me. I have to accept it even though it's totally incestuous and wrong. I should be ashamed by how I feel but I'm not…'_

Slowly Anna rested her head on her pillow again and yawned. Her mind was finally at ease despite the truth that had finally dawned on her. _'Elsa can't know. I have to conceal my feelings from her or risk losing her.'_ She yawned again and closed her eyes, _'conceal it, don't feel it,'_ she thought vaguely as she fell asleep.


	3. Chapter Three

*Authors Note* I do not own Disney or any character of.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Elsa repressed a sigh as she passed through the throne room heading towards a reinforced wooden door to the left of the dais. She unlocked the door with her key and entered the room. The guard that tailed her from the dining hall stood outside the door patiently to make sure the Queen was undisturbed.

She stood inside her late father's study, taking in the layout quietly. There was a fireplace against the wall with a comfortable love seat set five feet away with two end tables on either side. Lining the entire wall opposite the fireplace were bookshelves baring maps and ledgers as well as her father's own personal library. Directly across from the door was her father's large wooden desk positioned directly in front of the window.

Elsa took a deep breath and walked over to the desk and slipped around it, fingers dragging across the smooth wood. She bit her lower lip lightly as she sat down, back to the window. Opening a drawer, she pulled out an ink well and a quill fastened with a steel nib. Another drawer issued documents she needed to go over and sign. She slipped into her work at a steady pace and had barely registered the door opening and footsteps approaching her.

Marine advanced quietly baring a silver tea tray. "I brought you tea, my Queen." Marine set the tray down on the desk careful not to cover any of Elsa's documents. A glance at the young ivory blonde gave way to a small smile as she poured Elsa a cup just the way she liked it. "Will there be anything else, Queen Elsa?" Marine spoke gently and, with a dismissive gesture of Elsa's hand, she curtsied and left the room.

Elsa glanced up briefly as Marine shut the door behind her and smiled at her thoughtfulness. She picked up the cup and took a sip of it contently regarding how Marine always knew what she wanted and when without her say so. She picked up her quill again and attacked her work once more with renewed energy.

Elsa hoped she could finish her work before dinner. Today was only day two of her duties as Queen and yet she was already feeling the pressure. She allowed a sigh to pass her lips and set the quill into the inkwell then sat back in her high-backed chair. _'Hardly any breaks in my schedule at all. Breakfast, various meetings, lunch at noon. Not to mention the paperwork before and after dinner if I hadn't finished. I was lucky to be able to attend lunch today. If it wasn't for the fact that most of the council sided with me in the continued argument on the Weselton issue, it would have probably dragged on clear until dinner.'_

She was surprised that Mathis had the nerve to bring it up again after her dismissal of the topic the day before. Elsa shook her head, dismissing the thoughts on today's meeting. She sat forward and pulled the quill out of the inkwell again, letting the excess ink run back into the container before once more pouring over the documents.

Elsa didn't know how much time had passed since she had sat down at the desk. She hardly noticed the shadows in the room were growing longer and the light was slowly diminishing. It wasn't until the door opened and Marine began lighting the gas lamps in the office did she realize she had been at work for almost five hours. She deposited the quill in the inkwell and sat back, massaging her right hand quietly.

After lighting the lamps, Marine walked over to the desk and placed herself in front of Elsa. "Dinner will be in an hour, Your Majesty. Princess Anna would like to know if she is to expect you." She stood in a submissive but respectful posture as she spoke.

Elsa's eyes swept her desk as she hesitated in giving an answer. She still had a few more documents to read, letters to dictate, and ledgers to balance. It was another four hours of work at least. "Tell her that," she hesitated a moment, "I will be joining her for dinner."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Marine smiled gently and curtsied, taking her leave. She made sure to shut the door behind her as she exited and went to give Anna her sister's answer.

Elsa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled before taking the quill up again. _'I really shouldn't put this work off even for a quick meal. I'll end up being here all night,' _she thought. _'But I need to see her, meal times are special. It was the only time I could see Anna during our separation. I just can't bring myself to miss out on dining with her.' _

A smile formed on Elsa's lips at the thought of Anna. _'She has really grown up into such a beautiful woman.'_ Elsa chuckled lightly picturing Anna's cheeks stuffed full of chocolate from dessert the night before. _'How is it she can act so unrefined and be _so_ adorable? So…'_ her thoughts trailed off as she tried to find the right word. Adorable just didn't cut it, nor did beautiful when used before. She felt the warmth of a blush spread to her cheeks and she immediately shoved the topic away. "I have an hour to get as much done as I can before dinner," she told herself. _'Even with Anna out of the room she's distracting me,'_ she thought wearily. She picked up the document she was on and began to read over the contents quietly. She had read and signed so many of these she was surprised she could keep them straight and her hand hadn't fallen off.

After several minutes of reading she signed her name and set the document aside to be filed away in one of the meticulously kept drawers. She looked to the small stack of work that was left over and groaned, resting her forehead in the palm of her hand. "Just need to write three more letters and do the two ledgers then I'm done for tonight."

The hour had gone by so quickly and Elsa had become so submerged in her work she had completely forgotten about dinner. When the door to the study opened and Marine walked in cheerfully, Elsa glanced up with a mixed look of intrigue and confusion. It was only when the delicious aromas from the dining hall hit her did she remember.

"Dinner is ready to serve, Your Majesty." Marine smiled gently to her Queen. She watched Elsa rise from her desk and straighten her papers for when she got back. "Is there anything you would like me to do, Queen Elsa?"

Elsa thought about it as she came around the desk and headed towards the door, Marine following in her wake. "Yes actually, there is. After dinner I will be returning to the study to finish up my work before bed. I would like you to bring a fresh pot of tea in for me."

"Of course, Your Majesty, I will have it ready for you." Marine smiled and broke away from Elsa, heading towards the servants' entrance into the kitchens.

On her entrance the council members rose in respect to the Queen. Anna was seated in her usual spot fiddling with the embroidery on her dress paying no mind to her surroundings. It was only when Percy cleared his throat did she look up.

"Oh!" she exclaimed and hastily stood as Elsa crossed over to her own seat. Elsa, mildly surprised Anna was on time, shielded a soft giggle with a delicate hand before seating herself. Marine appeared behind her and pushed in her chair, Aminda doing the same as Anna sat back down. Once the sisters were seated did the council follow suit and dinner was served.

* * *

Elsa found herself seated back in her father's office. Dinner, as enjoyable as it was, had sapped a little more than an hour away that she could have used to finish her work. She was surprised she was able to slip away from Anna who had tried to urge her to put off work and spend time with her. As much as Elsa wished she could she knew it was impossible and Anna had, thankfully, understood.

She smiled gently at the thought of how concerned Anna was. Anna had gone so far as to hug Elsa, demanding she wouldn't stay up all night and would get _some_ sleep. Dismissing the thoughts of Anna once more, she grabbed the next piece of paper in line for her attention.

As promised, Marine slipped quietly into the room with a fresh pot of tea and set it in an empty spot upon the aged wood of the desk. Just as quietly, she poured Elsa a cup and left with a brief curtsy.

Elsa's focus never wavered despite Marine's entrance. She continued to let her eyes dance across the document from left to right, top to bottom. Every so often Elsa would reach out without tearing her eyes away from her work to grasp her tea cup, take a sip, and return full focus to the papers at hand.

Finally, after what seemed to her an eternity, Elsa pulled the last ledger to her. At this point words and numbers bore no further meaning. She found herself staring tiredly at the print unable to make sense of the jumbled mess. The once elegant calligraphy was now blurred into shapeless blobs that made absolutely no sense to her.

A yawn overtook her, eyes sliding shut as she sat back to take a short break, once more massaging her right hand. She reached out haphazardly for her cup only to find it was quite empty. Her eyes opened and she reached further out to pick up the kettle only to feel even further disappointment that it _too_ was empty.

The ticking of the clock eased its way into her consciousness causing her to grimace a little as she stared at the black book that lay open, the quill carelessly throne back into the ink bottle. _'Dare I look at the clock?'_ She knew it was late, she could tell just by how tired she was. But knowing it was late and knowing exactly _how_ late were two very different things.

Elsa heard the door creak open and she sat up straight in her chair just in time to catch a copper haired head peek into the room. Anna smiled at Elsa, waving a little as she slipped fully into the room and shut the door behind her. She was dressed in a dark green robe that fastened around her by the waist. It was made of silk and covered her down to her knees, exposing bare feet.

"Anna, what are you doing walking around the castle dressed like that?" Elsa's tone held neither amusement nor disapproval. In fact, it was quite monotonous. No matter how hard Elsa tried to give off the impression of being wide awake, Anna knew better.

"You weren't in bed so I decided I'd come and take you to bed," she said matter-of-factly. "It's almost three and your bed hasn't been touched and you promised you wouldn't stay up all night." Elsa smiled tenderly at her sister's concern for her but she shook her head gently.

"Anna, I still have a little more to do before I can call it a day. What I want to know, however, is what _you_ are doing out of bed and in _my_ room?" The counter question made Anna smile sheepishly as she sat down in one of the two chairs that were positioned across the desk.

"I couldn't sleep. I went to bed around ten and kept waking up so I thought maybe I'd try and sleep with you again buuuut you weren't there." Anna blushed lightly but didn't let her eyes stray from Elsa's. She wasn't being completely straight forward with Elsa and hoped that she wouldn't realize this or wouldn't pry further. _'Last thing I want is for Elsa to know I'm still having nightmares,'_ she thought.

'_She's still having nightmares,'_ Elsa thought and repressed a sigh. Exhaustion overwhelmed her features and she glared spitefully at the ledger that lay open mockingly. She shut the ledger and set it aside, looking to Anna. "Alright then," she smiled in defeat as she stood up and pushed the chair in. She supported herself briefly against the back of the leather upholstery. "I think one ledger can wait. What good is a sleep deprived queen to her people?" Elsa came around the desk and waited for Anna.

"Yeah, you'll get all cranky." Anna grinned as she stood, following Elsa out the door.

A new guard was standing outside and began tailing the sisters as they made their way through the throne room. Anna looked back at him and smiled gently.

"We can get there just fine by ourselves but if you could extinguish the lamps for us that would be great." Anna spoke with surprising authority but not unkindly.

The guard blinked a little at the request and looked to Elsa who nodded softly. With a respectful bow he turned and went into the study, extinguishing the lamps and locking up the study for the queen.

Soon they were in the residential hallway where their bedrooms were located. Elsa smiled gently as she moved ahead of Anna and opened her own bedroom door and went inside. She had left the door standing open for Anna to follow.

"Thanks, Elsa," Anna said gently as she closed her sister's door behind her and sat on the edge of her bed. "I just hope I'm not being a bother," she mumbled with a small smile. Anna untied the silk ribbon that held her robe closed and shrugged it off her shoulders. She wore her favorite black and green satin nightgown that stopped just mid-thigh. Standing, she draped the robe over her sister's changing screen before climbing into Elsa's bed under the blankets.

Elsa had gone over to her vanity and was pulling hairpins from her neat, platinum blonde hair. "You're not a bother, Anna. Never allow yourself to think that." She deposited the pins one by one into a porcelain bowl and shook her fingers through her hair to loosen it from the braid. She threaded her fingers through her silky locks and smiled gently at herself in the mirror. With a flick of her wrist the elegant dress she wore dissolved and left her in a white and icy blue version of the nightgown Anna wore only slightly longer.

Anna's eyes followed Elsa as she stood from her vanity and extinguished the lights. She felt the heat of a blush returning to her sun-kissed cheeks and even more so as Elsa slipped into the bed with her. _'She's like a goddess,_' Anna thought and swallowed the dry lump that stuck in her throat.

Elsa turned on her side, facing Anna and pulled the covers up to her chest. She smiled gently at her sister and rested her head on the soft pillow. Anna smiled back and slowly reached her fingers out to comb through Elsa's loose, blonde hair.

"Why don't you wear your hair down like this more often?" Anna inquired gently, smiling at how soft and tangle free her sister's hair was. "It looks so…so…" her lips split into a wide grin, "sexy!" She watched Elsa's cheeks darken with a blush but still retain that smile. _'My Gods her smile can brighten the darkest room,'_ Anna thought as her own tanned cheeks turned pink at her daring.

"Sexy?" Elsa parroted while subconsciously running her fingers through her tresses, face getting impossibly darker. Quickly she shook off all embarrassment and cleared her throat. "I just think a tight, controlled hairstyle is more befitting for a queen." Elsa spoke quietly, sitting up on her elbow. Her left hand, which had finished threading through her long hair, moved to fiddle with the corner of her pillow.

"I like this though as well as your loose braid. They really compliment your face." Anna sat up on her elbow as well, scooting closer to Elsa. "This is more…you."

Elsa nodded gently and smiled to her little sister. She felt her muscles twitch wanting to fiddle with her hair again but denied the reflex and continued to just play with the fabric of the pillow case instead. "I'll think about it. Maybe it'll be a special occasion thing."

Anna smiled and nodded in satisfaction, "I can live with that idea." Elsa smiled softly and let herself lie back down fully on her back. She wasn't sure if she should voice her suspicions about why Anna was sleeping in her room again. Though, as she thought about it, whatever reason it was she truly didn't mind. She loved the opportunity to bond with her little sister and the warmth it brought her was an added bonus. However, all thoughts on the subject vanished when Anna scooted against Elsa and rested her head on Elsa's chest. Her body stiffened and reflexively she pushed Anna off and sat up.

Anna flinched as she was pushed sideways off of her sister and immediately sat up as well, right hand grasping her upper arm. "I'm sorry. I…I didn't think you'd mind," she whispered, her own hand caressing her upper arm in a self-soothing manner.

Elsa sighed quietly, rubbing her temples with the thumb and middle finger of her right hand before looking to Anna. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to throw you off of me."

"But I should have known better. I keep forgetting that you're not used to such interactions no matter how-"

"I had no right to do that to you!" Elsa interrupted sharply. She took a deep breath to regain calmness. "Don't give me any excuses nor blame yourself," she managed to maintain a gentle tone and rested her left hand on Anna's hidden leg. Anna fell quiet but nodded. "Now, you want to cuddle." It wasn't so much a question than a statement but she received a curt nod either way. Elsa lied down again and moved her left arm up, offering Anna a more comfortable position against her.

Smiling, Anna moved back into position, her head rested comfortably on her sister's collarbone. She felt Elsa close her arm around her and then rest her hand on Anna's side. Anna then curled her own arm around Elsa's waist and held her gently in return. She closed her eyes, listening to Elsa's heart drum away in her chest. _'She's still panicking a little. Maybe I went too far,'_ she thought. Just as the words formed in her mind, she felt Elsa's thumb gently stroke her side through her nightgown. Anna lifted her head just enough to look at Elsa's face. All doubt left her when she saw the peaceful smile that rested on Elsa's lips with her eyes closed.

Elsa felt Anna lift her head and opened her eyes, looking at her. "Is something wrong?"

Anna smiled and shook her head. "Just wanted to make sure you were comfortable too. Last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."

"You may startle me from time to time but you'll never make me completely uncomfortable," Elsa replied gently.

"Is that a challenge?" Anna grinned, eyes glinting with orneriness.

"No, no! Not a challenge," Elsa said quickly earning a giggle from her sister.

Anna rested her head back onto Elsa's chest, closing her eyes again. She concentrated on Elsa's heartbeat which began to slow to a normal pace as time wore on. Before Anna knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Elsa smiled once Anna had rested her head back into position. She resumed the gentle caress of her thumb as she held her sister close with her eyes closed. _'More comfortable than I could ever imagine being,'_ she thought.

When she was sure Anna was asleep, Elsa turned onto her left side and smiled at the feeling of Anna clinging closer to her, head nuzzled against the soft skin of her chest. She draped her right arm around Anna and held her protectively against her. _'Gods she's so beautiful,'_ she thought with a blush. Gently, Elsa kissed the top of Anna's head, earning a contented murmur from the ginger. Closing her eyes again she allowed her body to relax and slowly she fell asleep, appreciating the warmth Anna brought her.

* * *

The sun was peeking over the horizon when Elsa awoke to a choked sob of her name and the feeling of a wet warmth pressed against her chest. Sapphire eyes flicked open and she pulled back just enough to look down at her sister who was clung tightly to her, crying.

"Anna?" she whispered meekly.

Anna didn't respond at first, the crying continued as her body trembled in Elsa's arms. Concerned, Elsa gently shook her sister, trying to rouse her from the nightmare. Suddenly Anna shot up, breathing heavily. Her skin was pale and clammy, coated in a fine layer of sweat. Anna wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to calm down only to stiffen as she felt movement next to her and another set of arms come around her as well. Shifting, she turned to look at Elsa and a small smile twitched onto her frightened features. She leaned back against her older sister for comfort, drying her eyes on the back of her hand.

"I…I forgot where I was for a moment," Anna spoke and chuckled feebly.

Elsa's nodded in understanding, the concern never left her expression as she continued to hold Anna against her, running thin digits through Anna's ginger locks. She was careful not to let her fingers snag on any tangles she came across. She felt Anna's trembling form finally relax, easing a smile onto her own lips.

"Thank you, Elsa." Anna mumbled as she nuzzled further into the junction of Elsa's neck and shoulder.

"I'll always be here for you, Anna. Do you want to talk about it?" Elsa carefully lied back, pulling Anna back down with her. Immediately she felt Anna turn onto her side and nuzzle fully against her again.

Anna hesitated slightly at the offer and sat up on her arm to look down into Elsa's face. Renewed fear lurked in the princess's eyes and fresh tears caressed her freckled cheeks.

Elsa frowned and reached up, pressing a cool hand against her cheek. "You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready." Gently her thumb wiped away the tears as she spoke. Anna immediately nuzzled into her sister's hand while her own reached up to cup over Elsa's to hold it there.

"He killed you. I…I didn't make it in time." Anna began to tremble again and was trying her best not to cry. "It's silly that I'm so upset over this. I mean, you're lying right here in front of me alive and healthy and-"

Elsa pressed a finger to her sister's lips, hushing her. "It's not silly. Nothing that bothers you to this extreme is silly." She removed her finger only to feel Anna's arms fling around her neck and hug her tight.

"I love you, Elsa." Anna whispered gently into her sister's ear. She sat up right and looked down at her sister, legs tucked comfortably under her body and smiled.

"I love you too, Anna." Elsa smiled up at the ginger, happy to see the fear was gone and the normally infectious grin was back on her lips. _'I love you more than you'll ever know. Always have and always will,'_ Elsa thought.

She felt Anna lie back down once more, arm looping around her waist and head resting on her chest. Elsa smiled and shifted onto her side so she could hold her protectively with both arms. "I'm here, Anna. I will always protect you," she whispered soothingly. It wasn't long until the princess had finally fallen back asleep.

Elsa gave a light sigh as she held Anna close, fingers gently caressing along her spine in a soothing manner. _'I wonder if I'll ever be able to tell her my true feelings. I'm growing tired of that old mantra of my father's. "Conceal it, don't feel it,". Thinking back, Grandpabbie had even warned against letting fear rule my life. Anna wouldn't hate me for loving her this way, would she? No. If she won't hate me for locking her out of my life for thirteen years, she won't hate me for that.'_

Elsa smiled down to her sister's sleeping form quietly. She was uncertain of how the conversation would truly go. She hoped that Anna would, in fact, understand but there was still that nagging doubt. A shaky sigh was released and she continued to run her hand along Anna's back, watching the ginger sleep.

Her thoughts wandered carelessly into her own pleasures until a knock on the door snapped her back to reality. She craned her neck to look to the door just as Marine poked her head in quietly. She was about to speak when Elsa put her finger to her lips in a hushing motion. Marine immediately dropped her voice down and approached the bed.

"Breakfast will be serving soon," Marine whispered. "Do you want me to make an excuse for you, Your Majesty? I don't want to interrupt your morning with the Princess," a warm smile crept onto Marine's features as she spoke.

'_Does she know how I feel about Anna?'_ Elsa inquired in thought before quickly answering Marine. "Please. Anna needs my comfort right now, she's still suffering from the recent events. They are plaguing her dreams."

Concern shown in Marine's eyes and she nodded gently. "Shall I also let the council know, Your Majesty? I could tell them you are ill and will be bed ridden for the day so-"

Elsa shook her head gently, silencing the handmaiden immediately. "I cannot shirk my responsibilities. I will be going to my meetings and will attend later meals." Marine nodded gently and curtsied, leaving the room.

"Mn…you should have taken the opportunity to have a day off," Anna said sleepily. Elsa snapped her attention back to her little sister who was still cuddled up to her contently, eyes closed.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean to wake you up," Elsa smiled gently as Anna's eyes opened and met her gaze.

"You need to work on your whispering," Anna teased and pecked Elsa's cheek. When her lips left the flawless skin of her sister's, the paleness had quickly changed to a bright pink. "You're blushing," she pointed out in a teasing tone, resting her head back down on Elsa's chest.

Elsa didn't know how to answer, or if she was even supposed to. She opted to change the subject and merely embraced Anna close again. "I've got another hour or so to sleep before I have to go meet the council. They've got an important discussion today which is why I couldn't stay in bed all day."

"I thought you had an hour or so to sleep, not talk about your duties," Anna said playfully. Elsa chuckled softly but nodded gently into her sister's messy bed-head.

"That I do…" her voice trailed off and she allowed her eyes to close.

* * *

Elsa seated herself in her throne quietly and heard the other council members seat themselves after. She sat up straight, her body composed, and expression neutral. "I have been made aware that this meeting bares news of utmost importance. Shall we go ahead and get on with that segment first?"

Lord Alystor stood and bowed respectfully to Elsa. "Your Majesty. It is with a heavy heart that this subject must be brought up. You are of age and Queen of our grand country. It is time that you began your search for a king to help you rule and bare an heir." All eyes were focused on Elsa who had stiffened in her throne.

'_A king? An heir? I expected it to come up but not this soon!'_ Her thoughts ricocheted in every direction and she felt the arms of her throne begin to ice. She took a deep breath and banished the ice before anyone would notice. "I see," was all she could utter.

"We would like to make plans for a ball and invite various suitors from different countries to attend. Maybe even hold an event like archery or sword play to ease the numbers of who would potentially get your hand," Lord Alystor continued, his eyes never leaving Elsa's.

Elsa began to panic but you wouldn't know from the regal calm she forced on the surface. However, minute by minute she was caving in inside and there was nowhere to run. "I will think about it."

Lord Mathis stood quietly and began to speak. "Unfortunately, My Queen, there is no thinking about it. It is something that has to be done. The idea has also been thrown around that Princess Anna could also search for a suitor-"

"My sister is of age, I understand. But she will not be pushed into marriage. She will choose to marry whomever she pleases on her own terms." Silence befell the council at the sharp, bitter tone Elsa used. Elsa cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "I apologize. Anna has been suffering from nightmares from recent events and I am worried about her as it is. I insist that you leave her out of your plans." Lord Mathis and Lord Alystor seated themselves quietly. "As I said, I will think about the idea. There are a few problems with how you wish to approach this." Elsa smoothed out her elegant ice dress quietly. _'There are _a lot_ of problems. Problems I haven't the slightest idea how to approach,_' she thought worriedly.

Lord Percy stood and cleared his throat. "Your majesty, because the gates are open again, I request permission to hire on more help for the kitchen and cleaning staff. As you can imagine, the original staff has aged quite a bit since the gates were first closed. With such a limited number of help it's getting harder and harder to keep up on duties."

Elsa smiled gently, glad that the subject was changed. "Yes, of course. I will put you and Gerda in charge of hiring on more help. I trust your judgment in who would make excellent employees."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed respectfully and took his seat.

Topics came and went, all avoiding the two touchiest of all conversations. Elsa was beginning to think that Mathis had given up on trying to convince her to take Weselton back into their trade routes.

Finally lunch time came around and Elsa stood. "Is there anything else that needs to be addressed before we dismiss for the day?" Silence followed her words as well as the shaking of heads. "Alright, we will rejoin again at the same time tomorrow."

The council rose and filed out accordingly. As soon as the last man was out of the throne room, Elsa turned and went out another door and made her way quickly to her bedroom. She wasn't sure how much longer she could suppress the dread that grew inside of her. She could feel the tears threatening to spill and her body radiated an icy aurora that threatened to consume her surroundings. She hoped Anna wouldn't see her. She didn't want to burden her with her state of panic or the news she bore. But to Elsa's dismay, Anna came rushing out of her room smoothing her dress and hair to go to lunch. Elsa hesitated in her retreat and ice crackled under her feet attracting Anna's attention.

"Elsa?" Anna stopped, watching as Elsa ignored her and regained composure enough to run into her room and shut the door. Anna frowned and followed Elsa, keeping her hand on the wall to support herself as she walked across the icy path Elsa created. Without even bothering to knock, Anna barged into Elsa's room and shut the door behind her. She shivered with cold, watching ice skitter across the floor and climb the walls coating everything in its wake in a glossy sheen of frost and ice. "Elsa, what's wrong? What happened?" Anna carefully made her way to Elsa's bed where the queen lied with her face buried in her arms atop her pillows.

Elsa's body trembled lightly as she held in her tears. Her eyes begged for release but she refused. She knew if she spoke out she'd lose control and would crumble into a heap of sobs. All she could do was shake her head violently and point to the door, wanting desperately for Anna to leave.

"Elsa, please talk to me," Anna said as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Her breath hitched in her throat from how cold it was and an involuntary shiver took hold of Anna. She rested her hand gently on Elsa's back and began to rub it gently.

Shakily, Elsa sat up only to be immediately hugged by Anna. As soon as her sister's warm arms were around her the ice slowly began to dissipate eventually vanishing completely. Elsa slowly wrapped her arms around Anna in return, face pressed into Anna's chest. She was quiet for several minutes trying to regain her composure.

"Take your time," Anna cooed, holding Elsa still and running her fingers through her hair.

"We're…we're having another ball," Elsa began. Her voice trembled as the threat of tears raged once more. She paused when she felt Anna perk excitedly.

"Really? That's fantastic! What's the occasion?" Anna grinned down at Elsa only for it to falter at the sight of silent tears rolling down Elsa's cheeks.

"My…my possible engagement," Elsa murmured sadly. "They want me to pick through suitors and…and find a king."

Anna frowned and released Elsa. She stood and began to pace back and forth quietly while Elsa kept her eyes to the floor, fumbling with the material of her dress idly. "But you're only twenty-one. You don't need a king _now_." She tried hard to bite back the jealousy in her tone.

"I don't _want_ a king." Elsa sighed and looked up at Anna. Her words stopped Anna's pacing and Elsa caught her eyes. "I," she hesitated, unsure of how Anna would react. Anna's frown faded into a small smile and she sat down beside Elsa again and took one of her hands into her own.

"Don't be afraid to open up to me, Elsa. I'll never judge you or hate you or anything." Anna smiled even more hoping to coax Elsa to continue.

"I'm not interested in men. Not romantically at any rate." Elsa blushed and broke eye contact with Anna. Her hand jerked slightly wanting to be released from Anna's grasp but failed in the attempt to escape.

"Really?" Anna sounded a lot more relieved and happy about it than she meant which drew Elsa back to look at her sister with a quirked brow. "I mean, that's alright. We'll just have to tell the council and-"

"No!" Elsa blurted out. "Me being a…a lesbian is very bad and if it's found out-"

"As bad as freezing the entire country causing what we now refer to as the Eternal Winter?" Anna rebutted, silencing Elsa. "That's worse than being a lesbian and yet everyone forgave you and loves you. So tell the council you have no interest in finding a king."

"They won't allow that. They'll still try and usher me into a marriage whether it's a happy one or not. Gods I can see the look on his face when-" Elsa didn't finish her sentence. She wasn't sure if Anna remembered another deeper secret she had. The puzzled look on Anna's face answered that question.

"When what?" Anna asked.

"Nothing, Anna. Let's just hope the council will respect the fact that I'm not interested in finding a king. I don't want to marry at all, really." Elsa sighed and scooted back into the bed and rested her back against the pillows and headboard. _'I don't want anyone but Anna,'_ Elsa thought.

"They better. You're the queen, you don't _have_ to do everything that's expected of you. If you want to marry a woman then marry a woman," Anna said with a grin, moving to sit beside Elsa once more. "What can they do? I mean, if they want you to have an heir, which I'm sure they do, they would have to let you marry a woman anyway, wouldn't they?" She looked at Elsa who was clearly in shock. "Yes, I remember. It's hard not to remember asking you those awkward questions. I'm sure that's why we never got to have bath time together." Anna laughed gently.

"You would never have known had you let Marine dress me in peace. But no, always had to come running around the screen to talk to me," Elsa sighed but smiled a little. Her cheeks were quite pink.

"Didn't judge you then, now did I? Didn't I give it a name? What was it?" Anna's voice trailed off as she thought.

"Yes you named it but I would like that to be left forgotten," Elsa uttered quickly. Anna laughed a little but nodded and sat forward, arms folded on top of her knees.

"Just tell them the truth little by little. If they don't accept you liking women as an adequate reason, _then_ tell them of your anatomy. They'll realize that resisting letting you pick your own marriage is futile. I don't ever want to see you marry someone you don't want to."

"They wanted to bring suitors for you too, you know." Anna stiffened and looked at Elsa with concern. "Don't worry, I told them that I will not allow you to be pushed into marriage and that you will do it on your own terms." Elsa gently reached over and pulled Anna against her. "I couldn't bare to see you forced into a marriage or meet another Hans. You deserve to be happy no matter whom it may be with." Anna smiled and nuzzled into her sister contently.

"Do you really mean that, Elsa?" Anna asked softly.

"Of course I do," Elsa said with a smile, kissing the top of Anna's head gently.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Elsa. It makes me happy to know you'll support whomever I choose. I promise you I won't go rushing into it like I did with Hans." Anna sat up and looked at Elsa. _'I just want to kiss her and tell her I love her but-'_

'_What if she takes it badly?'_ Elsa thought, searching Anna's eyes for an answer. Neither realized they were just staring into each other's eyes, their faces inching closer. Anna took a deep breath and closed her eyes, catching Elsa's lips with her own.

Elsa tensed up at the sudden contact of Anna's lips. Without another thought, her frame relaxed and she returned the kiss while her arms slipped around Anna, pulling her into her lap.

After a few seconds she felt Anna break away and sit back. Both sisters were blushing furiously but neither broke eye contact as composure was found.

"You kissed me?" Elsa finally asked in shock.

"You kissed back." Anna rebutted with a grin.

"We're sisters." Elsa whispered.

"I don't care. You told me you'd support my decision of who I wanted to be with. It just so happens that person is you." Anna smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "But, by the way you kissed me I gather you feel the same way, so I don't see where the issue lies."

"The problem lies in the fact that we are _sisters_. That is incest." Elsa sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Lots of countries marry in their own bloodline to keep the crown in the family. This isn't so different." Anna smiled. "Just so happens we're both girls…well…almost." She flashed Elsa a bright grin.

Elsa sighed and looked back to Anna. She knew what was expected of her by tradition and her people. _'It's time I did something for me for once. I admit, I'm scared of how my people will take it but if I want to be happy I must do this,'_ Elsa thought.

Anna looked ready to continue arguing her point when Elsa spoke. "Alright, but we're going to keep it between us for now. I need to know how people may take it first before we announce anything. I sacrificed 13 years of my life to keep others happy and safe. It's time I did at least one thing to ensure my own happiness."

Anna nodded gently and leaned in to kiss Elsa again. She loved how Elsa's lips felt against her own and she savored the feeling. Elsa blushed again but returned the kiss. The interruption of Anna's stomach growling broke the moment and Anna smiled sheepishly.

"I guess I'm a little hungry. Let's go get some lunch. I'm sure the kitchen staff can put a quick meal together for us." Anna smiled and slipped off the bed. She offered Elsa her hand who hesitated before taking it, standing as well.

"Alright, a quick lunch and then I have work to do." Elsa smiled as she let Anna lead the way.


	4. Chapter Four

*Authors Note* I do not own Disney or any character of.

Here we get into a few new characters and the development begins of our two young lovers! But don't worry, folks. It'll get down and dirty soon!

* * *

**Chapter Four**

The morning sun filtered in through the curtains basking two slender figures in its warming light. Anna was nuzzled comfortably against Elsa's chest whilst being wrapped tightly in her elder sister's arms. Elsa, however, grunted sleepily and her brow knit together as the pesky sunlight withdrew her from sleep. Slowly her eyes blinked open and she began to carefully shift out from underneath Anna to get up.

After several minute movements and much patience, Elsa was finally sitting on the edge of the bed. Anna was clinging contently to one of Elsa's pillows while curled up awkwardly under the duvet. Elsa smiled gently and suppressed a chuckle. _'Lucky for me Anna can be a heavy sleeper,'_ she thought.

A gentle knock diverted Elsa's attention to the door just as Marine slipped into the room followed by a younger girl around Anna's age. Marine curtsied gently and the child followed suit.

"Your Majesty," she whispered while glancing to the bed. She could make out the disheveled red locks that could only belong to the sleeping Princess. "This is Kendra," she gestured to the nervous girl whose eyes never left the floor. "She's new and I am training her to take this position when it comes time for me to retire. Aminda is doing the same with her twin sister named Kenna."

Elsa smiled kindly to Kendra and looked to Marine, nodding. "Hopefully that time is still a ways away. You do wonderful work, Aminda as well. You both, under Gerda's supervision, have done so well to make sure Anna and I had everything we needed ever since we were young." Elsa kept her voice low, trying her best not to rouse her sister.

Marine smiled proudly and curtsied respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We both don't plan on leaving for a few years yet, but we want to make sure that when we do go, you have the best to replace us."

Elsa nodded dismissively and glanced back to her sleeping sister. When her eyes returned to Marine and Kendra they were already in her personal bathroom drawing her bathwater. She could hear hushed whispers of the elder handmaiden and sighed softly.

'_I feel badly for this girl. I hope Marine is preparing her for what could be the shock of a lifetime,'_ Elsa thought. With some hesitance, Elsa stood and crossed over to her changing screen. Marine came out of the bathroom and met Elsa behind the screen with a smile. She had in her hands a warm, white robe and was waiting patiently for Elsa to dissolve her sleep attire. Elsa met her gaze briefly before dispelling the ice fabric that covered her lithe form, immediately slipping into the proffered robe.

"You're nervous, Your Majesty." Marine whispered gently.

"I haven't the slightest idea where you would get that idea." Elsa stated quietly.

A loving chuckle ensued from the elderly woman as her hands fidgeted with the belt of the robe, tying it shut securely. "I know when you're uncomfortable. I have been with you for twenty years after all."

Elsa looked into the elder's face, receiving a warm and comforting smile. "Alright, yes, I'm nervous. I don't want to scare the girl off with my…abnormalities."

Marine smiled and stepped back from the Queen as if to scrutinize her. "I see nothing abnormal. I only see Arendelle's most loved Queen and a very beautiful, independent woman. I see a loving sister and friend who is very deeply cared for." Briefly, Marine's eyes glanced in the direction of the bed. "You are normal, My Queen. You are yourself and you should be proud."

A smile pulled at the corner of Elsa's lips and she felt herself relax even if it was only slightly. Marine noticed the change in demeanor and beamed with joy.

"If it's any consolation, Your Majesty, Kendra has been sworn to secrecy. Anything she sees or hears does not leave her lips. You and the Princess deserve your secrets and privacy." A knowing twinkle sparked in her eyes drawing a soft blush from the Queen.

"That does help ease my mind," Elsa admitted quietly. She stepped out from behind the screen, glancing to the bed before heading into the bathroom. Marine followed behind her and shut the door once they were inside. Elsa's eyes rested on Kendra who sat on her knees by the tub, soapy cloth in hand.

'_She looks quite scared,'_ Elsa noted, _'she won't look up at me._' Elsa's thoughts quieted as she felt Marine reach around her and undo the belt of the robe. She allowed the warm fabric to slip off her shoulders and proceeded to settle into the cold bath water. All the while she watched Kendra's demeanor which only showed a shy or embarrassed blush but nothing more.

Once Elsa was rested comfortably in the water she felt a set of skilled hands begin to work a cloth over her pale, flawless skin. She closed her eyes and relaxed even as a shaky, fumbling pair took over. Marine uttered quiet instruction to Kendra, showing her the proper way to approach Elsa's sensitive areas and how to be tender but thorough.

It wasn't long until Elsa was helped to her feet and a towel was applied to her body. Kendra blushed lightly again as she dried Elsa from head to toe only to sit back in awe as Elsa materialized an ice gown onto her form right before her eyes. It was form fitting and a mixture of silvers and whites.

"Quite beautiful, Your Majesty." Marine spoke gently and smiled. "Shall we move to the vanity so that we may put your hair up?"

"Yes, of course, though I would like to do something a little different." Elsa spoke as she opened the bathroom door and slipped into the bedroom. Her eyes immediately went to the bed and smiled seeing Anna still there and snoring ever so slightly. While shielding a giggle at the peculiar position Anna was in, she sat down in front of the vanity and looked into the mirror at herself. Marine came up behind her, hands resting tenderly on Elsa's shoulders.

"What would the queen have me do today?" Marine asked quietly, smiling proudly at the woman's reflection who stared back at her.

"I would like to replicate how my hair was after…after the Eternal Winter." Elsa spoke just as quietly, watching the slight movements of Anna in the bed behind her. Marine nodded gently and grabbed Elsa's brush from the vanity and began to brush through her ivory locks of hair, deterring any tangles that she would come across. Kendra watched every movement of her elder's fingers as she loosely braided and fiddled with Elsa's hair until it was that beautiful freestyle braid she held after her ascent to the North Mountain.

"Y-You look beautiful, Queen Elsa." Kendra spoke up for the first time. Her voice was soft and nervous. Elsa smiled and turned to look directly at the young girl.

"Thank you, Kendra. I'm happy to have you here. Please, do not be uncomfortable around me and don't be afraid to speak up." Elsa offered her another small smile which was returned by not only Kendra but Marine as well.

"We will leave you in peace now, Your Majesty." Marine backed away, gesturing for Kendra to follow. "We'll allow you time with Princess Anna before your meeting." With brief curtsies from both women Elsa was soon alone with a snoring Anna.

A smile played on Elsa's lips and she approached the bed, leaning over Anna's twisted form. Carefully she leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips earning an incoherent grunt from the ginger beneath her. Breaking the kiss, Elsa smiled down at Anna once more.

"Morning, Anna." Elsa's voice was soft and tender as she tried to ease Anna into consciousness.

"Mn…morning." Anna responded in a slurred, quiet tone as one lazy, teal-blue eye opened and met Elsa's. The other quickly joined and a look of surprise overcame her. "You're wearing your hair down? I can't believe it!"

"Surprise," Elsa uttered softly. "I thought I'd do something different today and thought about what you said the other night." She stood up straight and walked back over to the vanity to make sure she looked alright. Anna slipped out of bed and followed her.

"You look fine, Elsa-better than fine, actually." Anna admitted as she wrapped her arms around her sister's waist, pulling her back against her. "Nothing to fix," she grinned.

Elsa smiled and turned in Anna's arms, holding her in return. "Thank you. However, you need to get ready for the day too. You'll scare the new help away if they even glimpse that wild bedhead of yours." She teased softly.

Anna stuck her tongue out at Elsa and chuckled. "Wait, new help?"

Elsa nodded gently. "Aminda has a young girl named Kenna training under her. When Aminda retires, Kenna is going to take her place. Oh, and Kenna has a sister named Kendra who is also here. She's going to replace Marine when she retires. I'm not sure who else Gerda and Percy hired but I gave them permission to add staff." She pulled away from Anna gently just as a knock came to the door. "Come in," Elsa called as she sank onto the edge of the bed.

The door opened ever so slightly and Aminda poked her head in. "My apologies, Your Majesty, but I can't seem to find the young—oh there you are, Princess. You gave me quite a start not being in your room yet again this morning." Aminda gave a relieved sigh as she slipped into the room, Kenna following in her wake. Unlike Kendra, Kenna seemed a lot more confident of herself and not at all nervous, even in the presence of the Queen.

Anna giggled a little and smiled. "Elsa and I have been bonding and that includes sleep overs. We have a lot to catch up on after all." She slipped over to the bed and collapsed gracelessly onto the bed beside Elsa.

"Of course, Your Highness. I will remember to check in here first next time before scouring the rest of the castle for you." She curtsied gently. "We have a warm bath drawn up for you, Princess if you'd like to come with us back to your room." Anna pouted a little and looked to Elsa who gave a smile but nodded her head in the direction of the two handmaidens.

"Alright, yeah I suppose before it gets cold." Anna said dejectedly and followed the two handmaidens out. She gave one last disappointed look at Elsa before shutting the door behind her, leaving Elsa completely alone.

Elsa stood and walked to the window, holding herself quietly. "I hope all goes well at the meeting today." She bit her lower lip lightly, imagining scores of people—guards, citizens, the council themselves-with torches ablaze and weapons in hand shouting names and threats at her. She turned away from the window, breaking the vision. "I can't think like that. Everything is going to be fine."

* * *

The door to the council room opened, a guard supporting the door. Elsa walked inside holding her usual regal posture as she passed by her council who stood attentively in front of their seats. She seated herself comfortably at the head of the grand table, her chair being pushed in by a guard who resided behind her. She heard the familiar echoes of nine others seating themselves and a pleasant smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

"This is a much better place to hold our meetings than in the throne room. We will be holding our meetings here from now on." Elsa spoke calmly while her eyes studied the faces of each council member. Her words were met only with a few nods and murmured agreements. She knew what they wanted to discuss and could tell they didn't want to initiate the subject themselves. She held the pause for a moment, hesitating on how to press forward. It was only when Percy gave her a supportive smile did she speak.

"To my displeasure, we will finish our discussion of inviting suitors to our country," she began. She felt the tension build in the room almost immediately and she tried to hold her calm demeanor. "I know tradition states that I must find a King to rule at my side but the fact is I do not want a husband. For thirteen years I have hid from myself, feared myself, and lied to myself. I will not do that any longer. The truth is, I have no interest in men." She was surprised at how calm and even her tone was. She prayed to the Gods that her face did not betray her voice and that she seemed just as calm as she sounded.

"Not interested in men?" The first disdainful tone rose from the heavy silence. Others joined in except for Percy and Alystor who sat quietly, hands locked together on top of the table. Elsa did her best to deflect the snippets of words she heard along the mass utterance of seven angry men. Words such as "outrage" "disgusting" "sinful" were launched at Elsa's façade of calmness. A chair suddenly scraped across the floor and Percy stood, others falling silent in the abrupt motion.

"My Queen, I support every decision you make. My family has served yours for generations with the utmost loyalty and that will not stop now. Whom you choose to marry will not affect how the country will be run and I see no reason to fear it." Percy spoke in a clear, strong tone, his eyes never leaving Elsa's. He didn't notice the glares he was receiving from Magrif or Mathis and if he had, he probably wouldn't have cared. "You have been locked away for thirteen years, forced to hide from yourself and others. You deserve all the happiness you can achieve no matter what it is that supplies such. My wife and I give you our full support."

"Thank you Percy," Elsa said as calmly as possible. Her hands were beneath the table and her nails were dug tightly into the upholstered arms of the chair she rested in. Percy seated himself only to be replaced by Alystor.

"Your Majesty, I understand your wish to be true to yourself, but your people expect you to take a king and eventually have an heir to the throne. It is important that you marry a suitor and bare young to keep your family line alive." Agreements rung in echo to Alystor's final word as he seated himself. Elsa took a deep breath and sat up straight. She could feel ice cresting along her chair and was trying her hardest to keep calm.

"It is impossible to ask me to marry a man. I cannot and will not do it. I understand there are expectations but some expectations I cannot physically or willfully live up to." Elsa's voice was growing uneven, the façade slowly breaking down.

The room began to cool slowly and it wasn't until Magrif stood, spouting angrily about her duties as Queen did everyone realize the flurry of snow beginning to fall from the ceiling. Nine men shivered in the newly developed cold, watching the haze of hot air drifting from their mouths. Elsa stood abruptly, hands pressed into the table as she leaned forward.

"I cannot marry a man for I have physical limitations that would make it impossible." Elsa spoke quickly, temporarily losing control of her regal composure. Ice shot from beneath her fingers and skittered along the table top before disappearing once it hit their designated edges. "I was born not _only_ with the ice powers but with one further abnormality I had hoped to save myself from revealing. I was born with the appendage of a man. If an heir is that important to you then I must marry a woman." Elsa stood up straight before carefully sitting back down in her chair. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, the room slowly began to warm up again and the snow flurry halting its accumulation. After several silent minutes everything went back to normal but still she sat with her eyes closed. She was afraid to open them and see the angered expressions that, undoubtedly, were there. Alystor was the first to speak causing Elsa's eyes to open and acknowledge him.

"Our hands are tied then. You will have full say on whom you marry. My only problem is, you cannot rule alone forever and I doubt there are very many princesses out there that would be willing to marry another woman."

"I have a suggestion, why not train Princess Anna as a regent? Of course, you will have full say in the on-goings within the kingdom but she will help with the hands on work that you stay up late into the night doing." Percy suggested the idea in a calm voice, watching Elsa.

Elsa smiled gently at the idea; glad things were finally going her way. "That is an excellent idea. I will speak with my sister," she said calmly. _'I'll save our relationship for another day. At least with this idea, they can see that us ruling together is better than bringing in some stranger from another country by marriage. Then, hopefully, our love will be unquestioned.'_

Magrif glared angrily across the table at Elsa before jotting down a quick note. No one noticed as he slipped the paper to Mathis who read over the words and gave a curt nod in Magrif's direction.

Conversation went on to several topics for the next few hours before finally the meeting was adjourned for the day. Papers were shuffled and organized before the queen was finally left alone again. With a small sigh she stood and headed out the door and went to find Anna.

She didn't have to search very hard. The first place she checked was her own bedroom and there she was, stretched out on the bed and humming to herself. Anna looked over and, seeing it was Elsa, jumped to her feet.

"How did it go? What did they say? How did they react?" She rambled off the questions so quickly that Elsa barely had time to even shut the door behind her.

"It went…better than I initially thought." Elsa walked over to her and sat down on the edge of the bed, Anna flopping back down beside her. "They did give me trouble in the beginning, everyone but Percy of course. He pledged his and Gerda's loyalty quite quickly."

"Well of course! Percy and Gerda are the most loyal staff members here, aside maybe Marine and Aminda." Anna smiled and stretched, "but what about the others?"

"Yes, well, I ended up having to disclose the information about my," she hesitated slightly as she searched for the correct term, "gender." Anna nodded but didn't look pleased.

"As if that was any of their business," Anna grumbled.

"It has been suggested, however, that you become my regent." Elsa smiled a little, watching Anna. "You will help me rule Arendelle. I'll of course have final say on what happens but it's as close to joint rule as we can get right now and I think it'll help soften them about us. That it will make them realize we were meant to rule together rather than bring in some stranger from another kingdom."

"After Hans, you'd think they'd already be skeptical about that," Anna mumbled as she hugged Elsa gently. Elsa nodded in agreement and wrapped an arm around Anna's waist and kissed her hairline.

"Yes, you would think so." Elsa pressed her cheek into Anna's hair and smiled contentedly at their position. They were silent for a while, a comfortable silence as they held each other until Anna finally pulled away and began to fumble with her dress. Her eyes found a spot on the floor and she stared at it, uncertainty in her eyes.

"Do you think I can really pull this off?" Anna glanced up at Elsa before reclaiming the spot on the floor. "What if I just get in the way or-or screw up? I don't want to disappoint—"

Elsa leaned over and kissed Anna gently, silencing the doubts Anna possessed. "I trust you. I have full confidence that as soon as you catch on to the duties and expectations you'll be a natural ruler. Remember, you won't be doing it alone. I'll always be by your side no matter what happens. I'll always protect you." Elsa's hand found Anna's cheek, her thumb stroking over her adorable freckles and smiled. Anna was avoiding her gaze all the while but couldn't help but nuzzle her cheek into the surprising warmth of Elsa's hand.

"But, who will protect you?" Finally Anna's eyes met with Elsa's. "Who has protected you?" When Elsa didn't answer right away, Anna did. "No one. But that's going to change. After what happened five days ago I thought to myself why can't I learn to fight? So I went to Captain Phylos a few days ago and, after some long conversation and begging, got him to agree to teach me how to fight," Anna said with a proud grin. "Maybe Jarik can take me on his hunting expeditions so I can learn archery."

Elsa frowned and shook her head. "No. Anna, you don't need to learn armed combat. I can protect the both of us if it comes to it."

"I don't doubt that but this is something I want to do. I want to fight for you, for Arendelle, for our people. Please-Elsa-let me do this." Anna looked up at Elsa, all signs of childishness gone and replaced with that of a mature woman making a serious decision.

"Anna," Elsa began, letting her hands fall into her own lap and clasp together. She seemed quite uneasy and unsure of how to approach what Anna was asking.

"Elsa, I know it's not fair of me to ask you such a question, but this is something I want to do. Kings and princes, they go out and fight all the time." Anna gave a small smile.

"But you are neither a king nor a prince," Elsa retaliated.

"The only difference is I'm a woman. But we have women in our guard so why can't I be like the fabled Warrior Princess?" Anna frowned, watching as Elsa hesitated to speak up.

"I-" Elsa stammered.

"You?" Anna interrupted only to receive a heavy sigh from Elsa, her gaze softening.

"I don't want to see you get hurt or risk losing you. I've already lost you once, I can't go through that again." Elsa stood and walked to the window, holding herself. She jumped a little, feeling two arms wrap gently around her waist and draw her backwards against a sturdy frame. Anna rested her chin gently on Elsa's left shoulder and smiled at their vague reflection in the window pane.

"You won't lose me, Elsa. I promise you that," Anna whispered softly. Elsa stayed quiet, leaning back against Anna. Her hands dropped down to lightly rest over Anna's arms. Anna remained quiet, leaving Elsa to her thoughts for the moment, and just held her.

"Alright," Elsa finally spoke after a long stretch of silence. "But you better be true to that promise." Elsa turned in Anna's arms and hugged her around the neck. Anna smiled gently and returned the hug, gently running her fingers along Elsa's back.

"Good, because I already had my first lesson today while you were in that meeting." Anna smiled sheepishly when she felt Elsa pull back to look at her.

"Tell me Anna, if I said no would you still have continued the lessons?" Elsa asked curiously, a brow quirked ever so delicately.

"Maybe? But I knew you would believe in me and say yes so it really doesn't matter," Anna said with a grin.

"I thought as much. But I suppose you're right." Elsa released Anna and pulled out of her grasp. Anna frowned and watched as Elsa made her way to the bed to sit.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Anna inquired in a soft tone.

"No, I'm not angry. I'm just…worried. If I remember correctly, the Warrior Princess you refer to didn't end well did it? Joan of Ark? I don't know much of the tale but-"

_Knock, Knock, Knock_.

"Come in," Elsa called, noting the relief on Anna's face at the interruption of what could have been a long lecture. Kenna slipped into the room and gave a quick curtsey.

"Your Highness, you asked for me to fetch you when Jarik arrived in town from his hunt. He's turning in his catch at the butchers at this very moment and will be heading back out again in the morning. Would you like me to arrange a meeting with him here in the castle?"

Anna smiled excitedly at the news until she glanced at Elsa who gave a disapproving look. The smile had then faltered but she looked at Kenna. "Thank you, err no, I'll just go and meet him at home. He'll probably want to spend time with his family before he goes back out again."

"Yes, Your Highness," Kenna spoke with another curtsey before leaving.

"Anna, are you sure you've thought all this through? You seem to be rushing into another life-changing decision again and I don't really like how it sounds." Elsa looked at her.

"This isn't like Hans. I'm not rushing off to marry someone or even rushing into battle. I just want to learn right now," Anna reassured. She slipped over to the bed and kissed Elsa gently. "Please trust me. Who knows, I might be good at it, Gods know I'm a disaster at everything else."

Elsa sighed but nodded, getting to her feet. "You have a hunter to make plans with. I should get a head start on some work in the study." She kissed Anna lightly on the cheek before leaving the room. Anna watched her go, slightly disappointed by Elsa's reaction to her news.

* * *

Later that evening Anna slipped out of the castle and headed into town. There was a lone house perched near the edge of the forest just outside of Arendelle with lights flickering in the windows and smoke coming from the chimney. Anna approached the door quietly before raising her fist to knock on the solid surface. After a few seconds she heard a woman's voice from inside before the door was finally pulled open.

A kindly, middle-aged woman stood in the doorframe with a look of surprise on her face. "Your Highness!" She quickly curtsied clumsily and stepped out of Anna's way. "Do come in!"

"Thank you." Anna smiled and slipped into the house, hearing the door shut behind her. She was happy to have given the guards that were following her the slip, fearing that their presence would give Jarik and his family the wrong idea.

"Jarik, dear, the Princess is here! Here, let me take your cloak, Your Highness. Then let's get you in by the fire to warm up. There we are," she smiled and hung Anna's coat up on a peg and lead the way to a large living room where the fire crackled merrily. Jarik bowed just as Anna entered the room, hand gripping the collar of a great black and rust colored Blood Hound whom was whining and doing everything he possibly could to get away and greet the guest.

"Princess Anna, what do I owe the honor? Sit, Toby." Jarik commanded and Toby huffed but sat down, stopping his struggle. "I apologize about Toby, he's a friendly boy but excitable."

Anna smiled and walked over, kneeling down in front of the dog. Gently, she reached out to pet him and immediately Toby began to sniff her fingers before quickly licking them. Before Jarik could stop him, however, he pounced onto Anna, successfully knocking her backwards and lapped at her face excitedly. Anna giggled and thrashed beneath him only to feel Jarik heave Toby off of her and scold him.

"It's alright, Jarik. He's such a good boy." Anna giggled and stood up with the help of Jarik's wife. "But as for the reason I'm here it's…kind of an odd question-favor really."

Jarik nodded gently. "Yes, of course, anything for the royal family. Please, Princess, have a seat." He gestured to the couch and Anna sat down almost immediately, Jarik following suit.

"I'd like you to take me hunting. Teach me everything you know from tracking to using a bow and arrow." Anna had expected the stunned look on Jarik's face and giggled lightly.

"I can do that, but, if I may be so bold as to ask why?" He sat forward in his chair, watching Anna.

"I'm going to be ruling with Elsa as her regent and I want to be as helpful as I can. Even in tight situations if it comes to that."

"Tight situations? Are you meaning war, Princess Anna?" Jarik sounded alarmed.

"Yes and no. We're in a peaceful period again now that Hans is out of Arendelle. But if something happens I want to be able to defend our country. Maybe even assist you with hunting if food ever became scarce."

Jarik nodded and stood, pacing in front of the fire. "Alright, I plan on leaving at sunrise. Would you like me to meet you at the castle gates or-"

"I'll meet you here. Wouldn't it be out of your way if I made you go all the way up to the castle just to escort me?" Anna smiled and stood. "I really appreciate this, Jarik. Now, I better head back home and get some sleep if I'm going to be up that early."

Jarik's wife walked Anna to the door and let her out, watching her practically skip back into town. "Teaching the Princess how to hunt? I can't believe she made such a request."

"I know, I wasn't expecting it in the least. I thought maybe she'd ask about bringing more meat of a certain variety for the castle but…what an honor." Jarik smiled and kissed his wife gently before going back into the living room to rest.

"Honor? No, dear, there won't be any honor in it if something goes horribly wrong." She followed him. "If she gets hurt or attacked by a wolf or bear, you'll be held responsible. I don't mean the Queen any bad name-"

"Patrice, you worry too much, dear." He sighed but smiled to his wife who stood with her hands on her hips. "If something does go wrong, I'm sure the Princess would defend me from any wrath Queen Elsa could throw my way. But I assure you, nothing _will_ go wrong. She is well aware what she is getting herself into and I'm sure the good Queen knows as well."

"If she spoke to the Queen about this crazed idea she has first." Patrice sighed, sitting down on the couch.

"I'm sure she has. Now, I must get some sleep. I've got to get up early and now a rambunctious Princess to look after." Jarik smiled and went upstairs to lie down.


	5. Chapter Five

*Authors Note* I do not own Disney or any character of.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Jarik made his way through the forest, back tracking the path he had just come. He ran his fingers through his messy black hair, trying to keep calm. There was no one in sight and he was all alone in the wilderness.

He came across the large boulder that resided in the first clearing and sat upon it, discarding his bow and quiver on the grassy floor beside him. He then rested his head in his hands. Panic began to ensnare the strong hunter as he did all but hyperventilate from his dilemma. His thoughts whirled at mach speed and he felt overwhelmed and dizzy.

"She was right behind me! I checked and checked despite how quiet she was. Where could she have gone? When did she disappear? Queen Elsa is going to kill me!" He said out loud to himself. He stood quickly and grabbed up his things, further back tracking down the dirt path they followed. "Where are you, Princess Anna!" he bellowed.

* * *

Earlier that day, the sun hadn't even risen and Anna was fast asleep in Elsa's bed. She was stretched across the entirety of the empty bed and didn't even stir when the door creaked open then clicked shut.

Elsa yawned softly and dissolved her dress, forming her usual night attire. It was so early in the morning, dawn only a couple hours away, and she was just so tired that she didn't even bother to take her hair down. Instead she carefully eased the covers open and slipped in awkwardly beside Anna and closed her eyes. Anna, as if drawn to her, immediately shifted and nuzzled into Elsa, holding onto her tight. Elsa smiled lightly and slipped onto her side, holding Anna close, and falling asleep.

An hour before daylight, Aminda slipped into the bedroom and saw the two sisters sleeping. Carefully she leaned over Elsa and gently prodded Anna.

"Princess Anna, it's time to wake up." There was no response even as she shook Anna once more. "Please, you're going to be late." Aminda whispered urgently. A light, sleepy groan issued from Elsa and her eyes slowly eased open.

"Mn…Aminda…what is it?" Elsa whispered sleepily.

"I apologize, Your Majesty." Aminda stood up straight. "I'm trying to rouse Princess Anna. She's arranged to meet Jarik within the hour and she still needs to get ready."

Elsa gave a light sigh but nodded gently. "I'll get her up, you go ahead and prepare her bath. I'll send her your way as soon as I can." Aminda gave a relieved smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Aminda then curtseyed and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Anna," Elsa whispered while running her nails through Anna's copper tresses. "It's time to get up." At first, there was no response from Anna. "Anna, you're going to get uncomfortable in about two seconds if you don't stop ignoring me." Elsa threatened playfully and earned a grunt of annoyance as two bleary eyes opened and flicked to Elsa's face.

"Mn…when did you get here? You weren't in bed when I fell asleep," Anna yawned.

"You don't want to know," Elsa spoke as she sat up, forcing Anna to get off of her. "But you are going to be late if you don't get up and get to your bath."

"Late? Late for-" Anna's eyes widened and she flung herself out of the bed. "Oh my God, you're right!" She made a run for the door before realizing, "I don't know when I'll be back!" Anna back tracked to the bed and gave Elsa a quick peck on the lips before finally hurtling out the door and down the hall. Elsa watched her go with a tired smile before turning over and falling back to sleep.

"Prepare for impact, Kenna." Aminda warned having heard the excitable voice of Anna and the quick paced steps hurtling down the hall. Kenna nodded and double checked the temperature of the water while Aminda received the Princess.

"Sorry I took so long to get up!" Anna spoke as she shut the door behind her and dashed behind the screen where Aminda was waiting. Once ushered out of her clothes she was shooed into the bathroom and assisted into the tub.

"I understand, Princess. You are not accustomed to being up before the sun. We'll get you ready in time. Kylie is readying Snowdust for you so you can get down to Jarik's quickly."

Anna nodded gently, giggling lightly as Kenna washed under her arms. "Thank you for arranging everything for me." She squirmed a little, giggling some more.

"Hold still, Princess." Kenna chuckled, pulling back the cloth. "Boy, Aminda said you squirmed and she wasn't wrong."

"Kenna," Aminda began to reprimand but Anna cut her off.

"It's okay, Aminda." Anna laughed. "I can't help it, it tickles." Anna smiled and looked at Kenna.

Finally Anna was cleaned up and was given pants and a shirt to wear instead of her usual dress. Aminda ushered her outside where Kylie stood with Snowdust, Anna's white horse.

"Here you are Princess, good luck out there." Kylie offered a smile as she helped Anna onto her horse.

"Thanks again! Aminda, I know Marine does a great job keeping tabs on Elsa but if you could help her out..." Anna smiled, looking at the upper windows of the castle and searched for Elsa's window.

"Of course, Princess," Aminda said with a smile.

Anna turned Snowdust around and clicked her tongue, causing the horse to gallop down the road towards the edge of town.

Jarik was waiting outside with two bows and two quivers strapped to his back. He smiled when he saw the Princess come into view, twin braids fluttering in the wind as she galloped down the hill. Anna slowed to a trot before coming to a complete stop in front of Jarik. Quickly she hopped off her horse and held onto the reigns with a smile.

"Made it! I was worried for a moment I'd be late." She gave Snowdust an appreciative pat on the nose before releasing her reigns and giving her a light pat on the rump. She whinnied and took off full speed back towards the castle.

"Are you sure she'll go back to the castle, Princess?" Jarik asked, watching the horse disappear from sight.

"Yeah, Jasper, the stable master trained all the horses himself to return back when let loose; I kind of know by experience. When I went after Elsa, I got thrown off of Snowdust and she took off back home. That's how Hans and everyone knew to come find me, err, so I was told." Anna smiled. Jarik nodded and handed her a bow and a quiver.

"Here you are, Princess. You can keep those and practice whenever you wish." Jarik smiled lightly and started his way into the forest. Anna followed behind him, slipping the quiver over one shoulder and the bow over the other.

"Thank you, Jarik. I appreciate everything you're doing for me." Anna strolled a few feet behind him, letting him keep the lead.

"It's no problem, Princess. I hold it as a great honor that you wish to learn from me." He glanced back at her with a smile.

"So what are we doing today?" Anna asked curiously.

"I have some snares set up for rabbits up here. There's a few burrows that I set up near so hopefully I'll have a few caught. They're pretty deep in these woods but the path takes us where we need to go for the most part. The burrows are off the trail of course, but it's easy to find your way back from them. Just don't stray away or you could get lost," he warned, turning to fix her in his gaze. He stopped and blinked. "Princess Anna?"

"I'm over here, I thought I saw something and I wanted a closer look." Anna said beyond some brush, crossing back over onto the path. Relieved, Jarik sighed.

"Please don't disappear like that. I'm responsible for you and if you get lost-"

"Oh Jarik, I'll be fine. Do you really think I would wander that far and get hopelessly lost? What kind of fool do you take me for?" Anna teased with a grin. Jarik nodded and started to follow the trail once more. Anna remained quiet as she tailed behind him, listening to the sounds around her.

The sun rose and sunlight shimmered through the canopy of trees. Jarik finally made a right in a clearing marked with a large boulder that stood center and headed through the trees off the beaten track.

"Not much further now, Princess." He assured, looking back at the sweaty but rather happy Anna following behind him. All the while they walked he was explaining how tracking worked, following everything from animal scat to broken twigs, footprints, and nesting areas.

A cracking noise sounded to the right, Jarik paid no mind but Anna stopped. She peered into the brush, kneeling down carefully so she wouldn't be noticed. She hadn't realized Jarik was getting farther away. Suddenly a young calf came into view. His antlers were mere stubs, barely grown at all.

"Awwww…you're such a cute little Sven!" She cooed excitedly and reached out to pet the young reindeer. Immediately it backed away and turned, taking off into the trees. "No, don't leave!" Anna called, following the adorable little animal. The calf scampered quickly through a clearing and out of Anna's sight.

Anna walked around the edge of the clearing, trying to find a hoof print or even a broken branch like Jarik had mentioned but her eyes were undeveloped for such a skill. Then she realized as she stood and looked around, that Jarik was nowhere in sight and she had no idea where she was.

Suddenly, a large flock of birds took off out of the trees causing a shaft of light to drop onto what looked like a cave. Curiosity got the better of Anna and she slipped into the brush and headed towards the opening. She kept low and listened the best she could for the sign of anything living inside. She listened for bears, wolves, wild cats, or anything else that could potentially do her harm, but the cave was silent. The only sound that she could hear was that of dripping water.

Anna slipped into the cave and crept along the walls. It smelt damp as moss grew across the rocky walls and the dirt ground soon became hard, slick stone. Further down into the cave an underground lake came into view but it was far down below as the rocky path ended in what looked like a cliff.

"That has got to be at least a thirty foot drop," Anna murmured to herself and looked around. Her eyes had since adjusted to the darkness but she noticed there were plant life below that seemed to produce their own source of light.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught movement and pressed back against the wall. A hard, smooth stone dug into her back but seemed to melt into the wall and a grinding noise followed. Somehow, a sheet of stone pivoted and moved away revealing a chiseled stairwell leading down to the underground lake.

Taking a deep breath, Anna crept down the uneven stairs, gripping the wall for balance as she neared what looked like a solid wall. She felt around in the pitch blackness only to find yet another smooth stone and pushed with all her might against it. The stone wall grinded and shifted revealing a softly glowing lake surrounded in phosphorescent mushrooms and other sorts of wildlife she had never before seen. She approached the edge of the glassy surface and looked into the water. She looked back at herself, smiling lightly at her discovery.

"Boy, Jarik will be so impressed when I tell him about this place." Anna grinned triumphantly.

"If you find him," a voice spoke from the shadows. Anna spun around, quickly drawing her bow and notching an arrow. She aimed in the direction of the voice, hands trembling causing the arrow to tremble as well. The voice chuckled, seeming to move without being seen causing Anna to sweep her aim in the opposite direction.

"W-who are you? Where are you? Come out and show yourself!" Anna demanded in as strong of a voice as she could muster.

"Lower your weapon, not that I think you could use it, and I'll reveal myself to you." The voice was that of a woman, it was quiet and cold, causing the finer hairs on the back of Anna's neck to prickle. Slowly Anna lowered the bow, aiming the arrow uselessly towards the ground.

A womanly figure cloaked in black stepped from the shadows. The phosphorescent glow of the plant life cast eerie shadows upon the stranger. Two pale hands reached up and grasped the hood of the cloak, lowering it back to reveal long, shaggy white hair and the face of an elderly woman. She approached Anna slowly, a grin revealing several rotted or missing teeth.

"I am not going to harm you, Princess." The old woman assured. She laughed in a cold tone at Anna's surprise. "Yes, I know who you are, Princess Anna of Arendelle. I have been waiting for you to come find me."

"Waiting for me? Come find you? I don't even know who you are," Anna spoke boldly despite being quite afraid.

"Fate has led you here. I, of course, knew you'd be paying my home a visit before too long." She gestured to the lake. "The reflections have told me such and if I may, Princess, you have grown up to be a fine young woman and your future looks quite bright if you make the correct choices."

"Make the right choices? What choices are those?" Anna inquired nervously.

"I am not allowed to divulge the future. Knowing does more harm than figuring it out on your own." The old woman peered into the surface of the lake. "Elsa was blessed at birth by Skadi." She said quietly. "You are also to receive blessings from the Gods. With Elsa's weakness to fear and isolation, as well as her dependence on you, they have decided that you have proved yourself worthy enough to claim their blessing. This decision was reached mere days ago."

"What blessing? Why now?" Anna stowed the bow and arrow, approaching the old woman slowly.

"You have shown your pureness of heart and kindness of spirit. You have proven you are worthy to follow the path your heart has set upon." The old woman suddenly collapsed onto her knees and began to chant in a strange tongue. The lake began to shimmer a bright white and fiery red light shown upon the center of the lakes rippling surface.

Anna's breath hitched as the light drew her in. She found herself wading through the pleasantly warm water and reaching out toward the light, her mouth agape. No sooner did the light touch her skin did the fiery red turn white. She gasped sharply in pain and grabbed her head. With one last glance at the old woman, everything went black.

Anna groaned softly and opened her eyes. She was greeted by a small patch of the starry night sky peeking through the canopy of the trees. She sat up, rubbing her head and trying to remember where she was and how she had gotten there. She still felt light headed and her head pounded slightly as if she had been knocked out.

"Jarik?" Anna called quietly. She remembered most of the morning. She remembered she was out hunting with Jarik and that she chased a baby reindeer here. But everything else in between then and now was empty. She heard the howls of a wolf pack in the distance and began to panic. "I'm such a fool! I'm lost and alone and there are wolves out and about. That's okay, it's okay! I've fought wolves before!"

The howling was getting steadily nearer and Anna ran to a large tree in the clearing. She jumped, grabbing ahold of the lowest branch and clamored up into the tree, going as high as she could go.

"But I don't have flaming gear to fend myself with but hey, wolves can't climb trees…I hope. I'll be perfectly safe!" She grinned at her great idea but it quickly faded as she thought of Jarik and Elsa. "I hope Jarik is okay. I wonder if he's still looking for me. Oh no, I wonder if he went back to the castle to get help to find me. Elsa's going to be so worried if he did. She'll never let me go back out again!"

* * *

Jarik paced back and forth in the clearing with the boulder. He had been searching all day and now there was no way of even finding her trail until first light. He froze in place, hearing the howling of the wolves in the distance and groaned. "What do I do? What do I do!"

He threw himself down on top of the boulder again, holding his face in his hands. His thoughts whirled as he debated on his next move.

"I need help, but that involves going into town and risking the Queen finding out that I lost her sister." He looked around, taking a few deep breaths. "But going back to town would mean precious time would be lost." The howling was getting closer and Jarik frowned. "What are the odds they are tracking her?" he whispered. He gathered his gear and started to follow the howling.

Anna froze, a cold chill traveling up her spine, as a howl lofted through the air closer to her clearing. _'Too close,'_ she feared. She could hear the sound of twigs snapping and brush moving all around her.

Her breath hitched in her throat, clinging tightly to the branch she resided on. She peered down below and saw the first silhouetted shape of a wolf run beneath her and then six others followed. She kept as quiet as she could and lied as flat on the branch as was possible to hopefully avoid being seen or heard.

The wolves disappeared, running straight through the brush on the other side. Five minutes passed, however, and Anna heard something in the brush again. Quickly she peered down, praying it wasn't a bear or something worse, when she saw a man run beneath her. He stopped, panting and holding his knees. "Damn it, I hope I can get to her before they do. Queen Elsa is going to have my head if she finds out about this."

"Jarik?" Anna questioned out loud, slipping onto a lower branch quickly. The man looked up quickly at the sound of his name.

"Princess Anna! Thank the Gods you're alright. I have been searching for you all day! I told you not to wander off and what do you do!?" He was relieved but the amount of stress he had been through had taken its toll.

* * *

Anna climbed all the way down out of the tree and hugged him, causing him to stiffen suddenly at the surprising interaction. "I'm sorry, Jarik. There was a baby reindeer and I followed it away, I wasn't thinking. I really am sorry, you don't have to continue this with me anymore if you don't want to, I'd understand." She pulled away from him and adjusted the strap of her quiver. "If you don't mind, though, I'd like to go home." Anna smiled sadly.

Jarik sighed, unable to stay upset at Anna. "Of course, Princess." He led her back to the path and eventually out of the forest. Anna remained close to him the entire time, refusing to separate until out of the trees.

Anna smiled once Arendelle came into view. "Thank you. Sorry for all the trouble."

"It's alright, Princess, just don't wander off next time." Jarik smiled kindly. "Go home and get some rest. We'll give it another go next week?"

Anna grinned happily at a second chance. "Okay! Ooo! How about next Wednesday?"

"Wednesday it is. Goodnight, Your Highness." Jarik bowed lightly and turned away from Anna, slipping into his house. Anna was already half way to the town gates, skipping happily home.

No sooner did Anna arrive back inside the castle did she scurry up the stairs to Elsa's room. When she opened the doors, she expected to see Elsa fast asleep it being almost midnight. However, the bed was quite empty.

"She's in so much trouble," Anna muttered as she stormed out of Elsa's room and headed to her study instead.

The door to her study was unguarded but Anna wasn't surprised. She slipped to the door on tip-toe and quietly opened it. Slipping in through the narrow opening she looked to the desk. Elsa was scribbling away in silence, her head down and far too busy to notice Anna entering the room.

Anna frowned, watching Elsa as she remained unnoticed. _`I've never seen her so tired,`_ she thought as she slowly approached Elsa's desk.

"What are you still doing awake?" Anna asked her, breaking the silence rather abruptly. Elsa jumped from the sudden presence of her sister, upsetting her ink well in the process.

"No!" Elsa froze the contents of the bottle before it had a chance to ruin her papers. A relieved sigh escaped her and she righted the bottle and set it aside, letting the ink once again thaw. "Working," she muttered irritably. "Thanks for knocking, by the way."

Anna frowned at Elsa's tone, especially with it being directed at her. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I just wanted you to come to bed with me. I just got home and I missed you all day."

Elsa sighed and couldn't hold back a yawn as she sat back in her chair. "I just need a couple more hours-"

"Elsa, you need to get some sleep. Please come upstairs with me. Aminda let slip to me earlier this morning that you didn't go to bed until 4 and I bet you still got up for breakfast and everything at 7. You can't live this way, you need sleep." Anna sounded quite concerned and Elsa sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you. You are, unfortunately, absolutely right. I'm running on only two and a half hours of sleep today." Elsa sighed, putting the cap on her ink bottle.

"It will get better. I'll be helping you with the work load and you can get decent rest from then on." Anna walked around the desk and stole one of Elsa's hands, tugging on her gently. "Come on, bedtime."

Elsa sighed but stood, intertwining their fingers quietly as she followed. She felt quite unbalanced and lightheaded whilst on her feet and Anna seemed to sense it. She wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist to steady her. Anna directed her out of the study, eventually ending up in their hallway.

"You should take the day off tomorrow. You need to recuperate," Anna suggested as she opened the door to Elsa's room and sat her on the bed. She went back and shut the door before returning to Elsa and began to remove the hairpins from her hair, releasing those beautiful locks of ivory blonde. "No one would blame you, they would understand." Anna smiled and went to the vanity and deposited the pins into the bowl. When she looked up, into the mirror, she smiled as Elsa managed to dissolve her ice dress and replace it with her usual night attire.

"I can't do that," Elsa murmured tiredly. She tried to smile as Anna came back over to the bed, but was far too exhausted to even do that.

"Lie down, Elsa." Anna smiled, gently directing Elsa onto her back. Elsa complied to every command Anna gave, nestling contently into her pillows. Carefully Anna slipped into the bed beside her, resting her head softly upon Elsa's chest.

"How did your hunting trip go?" Elsa managed to ask, shifting over onto her side to face Anna. She smiled at the feeling of Anna's arm moving around her waist and pulling them closer together. She, too, wrapped her own arms around Anna in just as protective of an embrace.

"I, uhh, it went great," Anna lied, hoping Elsa was too tired to notice.

"Mm…you'll have to tell me all about it in…the…murng…" Elsa's voice faded into a mere murmur as she quickly fell asleep.

* * *

End note:

For those of you who don't know. Skadi is the Nordic Goddess of Winter.


End file.
